Broadcaster Gayle King has recently come under fire from pop culture enthusiasts, celebrities, and even some of her close friends following her return from an 11-minute space flight with Jeff Bezos’ space tourism company, Blue Origin. King, who bravely conquered her fear of flying to embark on this journey, responded to her critics with a challenge: “Blast off or back off.”
In an interview on Extra, King posed a provocative question to her critics: “Have y’all been to space? Go to space or go to Blue Origin and see what they do and then come back and say, ‘This is a terrible thing.’” She expressed her hope that individuals would conduct more thorough research before critiquing the financial implications of the flight and questioning its mission statement. “Every time a flight goes up, they get some type of information that can be used for something else,” she emphasized, highlighting Blue Origin’s goal of finding ways to utilize waste from Earth to improve our planet.
King’s comments resonate with recent findings from NASA, which reported an alarming amount of orbital debris, commonly referred to as “space junk,” orbiting Earth at high speeds. The agency warned that the increasing volume of debris in low Earth orbit (LEO) poses significant safety risks to both space operations and people on Earth. This context might have influenced King and her fellow passengers, including singer Katy Perry and journalist Lauren Sánchez, to embrace Bezos’ vision.
The trip was also framed as a significant achievement for women, being the first all-female space flight since 1963, when cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to journey into space. King stated, “I know there are cranky Yankees, I know there are some haters, but I’m not gonna let people steal my joy and steal the joy of what we did or what we accomplished that day.” This sentiment reflects her determination to focus on the positive aspects of the experience, despite the backlash.
However, not everyone is convinced by King’s defense. Actress Emily Ratajkowski shared her thoughts in a TikTok video, arguing that while the presence of women and people of color in traditionally exclusive spaces seems like progress, the reality is more complicated. She remarked, “Having a man who has gained his power and become a part of the one percent purely through exploitation and greed deciding to take his fiancée and a few other famous women to space for space tourism is not progress.”
Similarly, actress Olivia Munn expressed her discontent, saying, “I know this is probably obnoxious, but like, it’s so much money to go to space, and there’s a lot of people who can’t even afford eggs. What’s the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride?” She questioned the mission’s impact on humanity, emphasizing that space exploration should aim to benefit people on Earth.
In response to the framing of the voyage as merely a “ride,” King pointed out a double standard in how male astronauts are portrayed. “You never see a male astronaut who’s going up in space and they say, ‘Oh, he took a ride.’ It’s always referred to as a flight or a journey,” she noted, arguing that this distinction undermines the seriousness of their mission.
Despite the criticism, King admitted that she once shared similar concerns regarding the allocation of funds for space exploration. “I was one of those people before I went on this flight,” she revealed. While she acknowledges that Blue Origin’s flights are not affordable for everyone, she believes that greater interest could potentially lower costs in the future.
Although Blue Origin has not disclosed the total cost of a New Shepard flight, their website indicates a $150,000 USD fully refundable deposit is required to initiate the booking process. Notably, a seat on their first-ever flight auctioned for a staggering $28 million.
Upon returning to Earth, King shared her profound reflections from the experience. “You look down at the planet and you think, that’s where we came from? To me it’s such a reminder about how we need to do better, be better,” she concluded. This insightful perspective highlights the potential of space travel to inspire change and greater awareness of our responsibilities on Earth.
