Gayle King defended Blue Origin’s April 14, 2025, all-female New Shepard flight after critics called the short commercial trip frivolous or wasteful. She argued that spaceflight and addressing problems on Earth are not mutually exclusive, and said women and girls had told her that seeing her go to space made them imagine doing it themselves.
What happened on the flight
Blue Origin launched its New Shepard vehicle from West Texas on April 14, 2025, with six women aboard: Gayle King, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen and Kerianne Flynn. The Associated Press reported that the up-and-down flight lasted about 10 minutes, reached about 66 miles (107 kilometers), and included a few minutes of weightlessness. The Associated Press’s launch report described the trip as part of the expanding private space-tourism market.
Blue Origin and CBS’s parent company described it as the company’s first all-female spaceflight since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963. That wording is specific to the framing of this Blue Origin flight; it does not mean women had not traveled to space between 1963 and 2025, or that no all-women group had flown in any other national or commercial context. Paramount Press Express’s April 10 announcement set out that historical comparison.
What King said in response to criticism
In post-flight remarks carried by CBS Mornings and in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, King rejected the idea that the flight was frivolous. “Space is not an either/or, it’s a both/and,” she said, arguing that activity in space does not have to take resources or opportunities away from addressing needs on Earth. She also referred to Blue Origin’s stated ambition of helping make Earth cleaner; that was her description of the company’s aims, not a finding that this flight produced environmental benefits.
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King said she was “very disappointed and very saddened” by the criticism. She also objected to calling the trip a “ride,” saying the word made it sound frivolous or light-hearted, and compared the flight’s trajectory to Alan Shepard’s. In her defense, she asked critics whether they had been to space and emphasized messages she said she had received from women and girls who felt the experience showed them that they, too, could go. These are King’s account of the criticism and of people’s reactions, not independently measured outcomes. Us Weekly’s April 16 coverage reported her response and the public debate; CBS’s segment listing documents the post-flight discussion on CBS Mornings.
Why critics objected
News coverage described criticism that the flight was frivolous or wasteful, with objections focused on its expense and environmental tradeoffs, particularly during a period of economic pressure. The critiques questioned the value of a brief, high-profile commercial flight. They should be understood as reported arguments, not as a settled assessment of the mission’s full environmental footprint: the reviewed coverage does not quantify that impact.
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The available reporting also does not establish who paid for individual seats, whether passengers paid at all, or what their arrangements were. It therefore does not support saying that all six bought tickets or that they all flew free. Nor does the coverage establish how representative online criticism was or show that all critics shared one motive. Reducing the backlash to sexism would go beyond the evidence.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the disagreement is really about
| Question | King’s case | Critics’ concerns |
|---|---|---|
| What was the flight for? | King emphasized the experience of going to space and the visibility of women in a field she argued could inspire girls and women. | Critics questioned the purpose and value of a short commercial space-tourism flight. |
| Who benefits? | King said women and girls had contacted her to say seeing her fly made them think they could do it too. No quantified measure of that effect is established in the coverage. | Critics raised questions about expense and the priority given to a high-profile private flight. The reviewed sources do not establish the passengers’ payment arrangements. |
| What evidence is available? | The reported flight duration, altitude and weightlessness describe what happened; King’s account describes the messages she received. Neither measures broader social impact. | Cost and environmental impact were reported as concerns, but the reviewed coverage does not quantify the flight’s full environmental footprint. |
The dispute is therefore not resolved simply by calling the flight either inspirational or wasteful. King made a case about representation and possibility; critics questioned the expense, environmental tradeoffs and promotional character of the event. The reported flight facts establish its short duration and profile, but they do not by themselves settle either side’s broader claims.
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