The celebrities publicly documented as criticizing or mocking Blue Origin’s NS-31 spaceflight are Olivia Munn, Emily Ratajkowski, Olivia Wilde, Amy Schumer, Jessica Chastain and Joe Rogan. Their objections ranged from questions about cost and public benefit to environmental concerns, feminist symbolism and jokes about the mission’s celebrity spectacle.
The principal celebrities publicly documented as criticizing or mocking Blue Origin’s NS-31 spaceflight are Olivia Munn, Emily Ratajkowski, Olivia Wilde, Amy Schumer, Jessica Chastain and Joe Rogan. Their objections were not identical: Munn questioned the mission’s cost and purpose; Ratajkowski attacked its environmental and feminist symbolism; Wilde and Schumer mocked its celebrity spectacle; Chastain amplified a feminist critique; and Rogan ridiculed the flight in later commentary.
This is not necessarily a complete list of every famous person who made a negative comment. It is a roundup of the principal named celebrities documented in reputable reporting. The mission also attracted criticism from ordinary social-media users and from Wendy’s official account, but those reactions should not be presented as celebrity criticism.
What was Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission?
Blue Origin’s NS-31 launched from West Texas on April 14, 2025. The six-person crew consisted of scientist and former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, civil-rights researcher Amanda Nguyễn, television presenter Gayle King, singer Katy Perry, film producer Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →#1 Best Overall
Blue Origin described NS-31 as its 11th human spaceflight and the first all-female New Shepard mission. The flight lasted approximately 11 minutes, carrying the crew beyond the Kármán line and giving them several minutes of weightlessness before the capsule returned to Earth. Blue Origin’s mission account provides the company’s description of the flight.
The controversy was therefore not mainly about whether the launch occurred or whether the passengers reached space. It centered on what the flight represented: an expensive piece of space tourism presented through the language of women’s achievement, celebrity culture and technological progress.
Olivia Munn: What was the mission supposed to accomplish?
Olivia Munn was one of the most direct critics before launch. During an April 3, 2025 appearance on Today With Jenna and Friends, she questioned what the passengers would accomplish during the short trip and whether the expense could be justified while many people were struggling with everyday costs.
Munn described the mission as “a bit gluttonous.” Her criticism was not simply a joke about the celebrities involved. She challenged the flight’s purpose, cost and public value, asking why a luxury space-tourism trip should be treated as an important cultural event when it did not have an obvious benefit for people on Earth.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →That question became a recurring theme in the backlash: was NS-31 a meaningful step in human spaceflight, or principally a highly publicized recreational experience for wealthy and famous passengers?
Emily Ratajkowski: Environmental cost and the limits of the feminist message
Emily Ratajkowski offered the most sustained environmental and political criticism. In a TikTok posted after the launch, she said she was “disgusted” by the flight and questioned the resources used for a journey lasting roughly 11 minutes.
Ratajkowski also objected to the way the mission was framed as progress for women. In her argument, putting several famous women on a rocket does not automatically amount to meaningful social progress, particularly when the flight was associated with a male billionaire and luxury space tourism. She connected that criticism to wider concerns about Amazon, environmental damage and the resource demands of high-profile private spaceflight. The Los Angeles Times’ account of the backlash reported her comments and the broader reaction.
Her position was not that women should not participate in spaceflight. It was that an all-female passenger list, by itself, should not settle the question of whether the mission represented progress. The criticism focused on the gap between the symbolism of the crew and the underlying economics and environmental implications of the trip.
Recommended Free Tools
Olivia Wilde: A meme about Katy Perry’s return
Olivia Wilde’s response was brief and mocking rather than a detailed policy argument. She reposted an Instagram meme depicting Katy Perry after landing, comparing the singer’s return to Earth with getting off a commercial flight. Wilde added the sarcastic caption: “Billion dollars bought some good memes I guess.”
Wilde’s post targeted the spectacle surrounding the mission, particularly the contrast between the enormous resources associated with a private spaceflight and the ordinary-looking images of the passengers after landing. It should be classified as public mockery, not as a formal statement about climate policy, science or the future of space exploration.
Amy Schumer: Satire about the celebrity guest list
Amy Schumer mocked the publicity surrounding NS-31 in satirical Instagram videos. She pretended that she had received a last-minute invitation to join the crew, playing on the idea that the mission’s celebrity passenger list was arbitrary and promotional.
Schumer’s jokes also made fun of the grand language used to market the flight. Her posts questioned the boundary between a historic space mission and a celebrity publicity event. As with Wilde’s meme, the intervention was satire aimed at the hype and presentation of NS-31 rather than a technical critique of the New Shepard vehicle.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Jessica Chastain: Sharing a feminist critique
Jessica Chastain joined the backlash by sharing a critical essay on X. The essay, published by The Guardian, was titled “The Blue Origin flight showcased the utter defeat of American feminism.”
The distinction matters: available reporting indicates that Chastain shared or amplified the essay; it does not establish that she wrote the argument herself. The accurate description is therefore that Chastain endorsed or gave visibility to the essay’s critique, not that she authored its “utter defeat” claim. Reporting on Chastain’s post documents that distinction.
The criticism questioned whether a celebrity tourism flight could fairly be used as a symbol of feminist achievement. In this view, representation in the passenger cabin is not the same as structural progress for women in science, engineering, labor or public life.
Joe Rogan: Later ridicule of the “astronaut” image
Joe Rogan criticized and mocked the mission in commentary reported after the flight. His remarks included jokes about the crew’s celebrity astronaut status and Katy Perry’s public profile after returning to Earth.
Rogan belongs later in the timeline than Munn and Ratajkowski. His comments were part of the second wave of ridicule that followed the launch, rather than the initial pre-flight debate about the mission’s cost and purpose. TMZ reported on Rogan’s post-flight commentary.
What did the celebrities object to?
| Issue | Critics associated with it | What the criticism meant |
|---|---|---|
| Cost and inequality | Olivia Munn | Munn questioned the justification for an expensive recreational flight while many people faced basic financial pressures. |
| Environmental and resource concerns | Emily Ratajkowski | Ratajkowski challenged the resources used for a short trip and its relationship to environmental messaging. |
| Purpose and public benefit | Olivia Munn and wider commentary | Critics asked what the passengers themselves accomplished in space and how the trip improved life on Earth. |
| Celebrity spectacle and public relations | Olivia Wilde, Amy Schumer and Joe Rogan | The jokes treated the flight as a heavily promoted celebrity event rather than an obviously consequential space mission. |
| Feminist symbolism | Emily Ratajkowski and Jessica Chastain’s shared essay | The criticism challenged the assumption that an all-female celebrity crew automatically represented meaningful progress for women. |
Did the crew respond?
Yes. The crew defended the meaning of the mission, but their responses did not eliminate the underlying disagreement about cost, environmental impact or symbolism.
Gayle King argued that critics did not understand what the flight represented to young women and girls. Her defense emphasized inspiration and the importance of seeing women occupy a space historically associated with male astronauts and engineers.
Lauren Sánchez said the criticism made her “fired up” and invited critics to visit Blue Origin to see the employees and work behind the vehicle. Her response shifted attention from the passengers and publicity to the engineers, technicians and wider workforce involved in building and operating the system.
Katy Perry later said the backlash made her feel like a “human piñata.” She continued to describe the experience as emotionally significant and said she responded to the hostility with love and elegance. El País reported on Perry’s comments.
Was there any scientific payload?
A NASA record shows that a JANUS 3.0 technology payload flew on the same New Shepard vehicle on April 14. That is relevant context, but it should not be overstated.
The presence of a technology payload does not mean the celebrity passengers themselves conducted scientific research, nor does it prove that the passenger flight had the same purpose as a research mission. The central criticism concerned the crewed experience and the way it was marketed. A payload on the vehicle is not evidence that the celebrity passengers carried out a scientific program.
What about Wendy’s and online memes?
Wendy’s official social-media account replied to a post about Katy Perry’s return with, “Can we send her back?” The account later said that the brand respected Perry. That exchange belongs in the story as brand-led social-media trolling, not as criticism from a celebrity.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe wider internet reaction included memes and descriptions of NS-31 as an expensive recreational trip or public-relations stunt. Those reactions were widespread, but anonymous or unattributed online comments should not be added to a named celebrity list. TheWrap covered the social-media jokes and backlash.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Related spaceflight memorabilia
Readers interested in the vehicle rather than the celebrity controversy may encounter an Estes Blue Origin New Shepard model rocket. It is a model of the New Shepard vehicle, not merchandise proving attendance at NS-31, and its price, stock status and eligibility for any retail program should be checked before purchase.
Blue Origin has also offered an official NS-31 mission patch, although the researched shop listing showed it as sold out. Availability can change, so collectors should check the official shop rather than treating third-party listings as official merchandise.
Bottom line
The clearest documented roundup is: Olivia Munn directly questioned NS-31’s purpose and cost; Emily Ratajkowski condemned its environmental and political symbolism; Olivia Wilde and Amy Schumer mocked the celebrity spectacle; Jessica Chastain amplified a feminist critique; and Joe Rogan later ridiculed the mission.
The disagreement was ultimately about more than an 11-minute flight. Supporters saw an all-female crew as an inspirational image for girls and women. Critics saw a luxury space-tourism event whose symbolism could not compensate for questions about inequality, resources, environmental impact and the absence of an obvious public benefit. Both sides should be kept distinct: criticism of this particular mission is not the same as opposition to women in space or to space exploration generally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which celebrities criticized the Blue Origin space trip?
The principal named celebrity critics documented in reputable reporting are Olivia Munn, Emily Ratajkowski, Olivia Wilde, Amy Schumer, Jessica Chastain and Joe Rogan. Their interventions ranged from substantive criticism of cost and environmental impact to memes, satire and later ridicule.
When did Blue Origin’s all-female spaceflight launch?
NS-31 launched on April 14, 2025, from West Texas. The six-person crew was Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez.
Did the Blue Origin flight carry a scientific payload?
Yes, but the presence of a JANUS 3.0 technology payload on the same New Shepard vehicle should not be confused with the celebrity passengers conducting scientific research.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteHow did the Blue Origin crew respond to the criticism?
Gayle King defended the mission’s inspirational meaning for young women and girls, Lauren Sánchez invited critics to see Blue Origin’s work, and Katy Perry later described herself as feeling like a “human piñata” amid the backlash.
The Bottom Line
In short: Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski made the most substantive criticisms; Olivia Wilde, Amy Schumer and Joe Rogan mocked the spectacle; and Jessica Chastain amplified a feminist critique. The list covers the principal celebrities documented in reputable reporting, not every person who reacted online.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
