Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSean Duffy’s remark was not shown to be a new rule barring Katy Perry or Blue Origin passengers from calling themselves astronauts. It highlighted a distinction between Federal Aviation Administration recognition for reaching space, the narrower legal category of “government astronaut,” and the word’s broader everyday use.
What Duffy said—and what prompted it
On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin launched its automated New Shepard NS-31 flight with six women aboard, including singer Katy Perry, CBS journalist Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez, then described in coverage as Jeff Bezos’ fiancée. The Associated Press reported that the capsule reached about 66 miles (107 kilometers), with passengers experiencing several minutes of weightlessness during a flight lasting roughly 10 minutes. It was the first U.S. spaceflight with women in every seat. The Associated Press reported on the flight.
Several days later, Sean Duffy, then U.S. transportation secretary, responded to a Blue Origin post celebrating the crew as astronauts. He wrote: “The crew who flew to space this week on an automated flight by Blue Origin were brave and glam, but you cannot identify as an astronaut.” Ars Technica reported Duffy’s statement on April 18, 2025.
The flight was a commercial, automated mission—not a NASA government mission. Whether “astronaut” is an appropriate label depends on which meaning is intended.
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Three meanings of “astronaut”
| Meaning | What it refers to | How it applies here |
|---|---|---|
| FAA recognition | The FAA recognizes a flight crew member or spaceflight participant who reaches at least 50 statute miles above Earth on an FAA-licensed launch or reentry vehicle. | This is the agency’s threshold for recognizing qualifying commercial spaceflight participants. It is not the same as government astronaut status. FAA: Human Space Flight |
| Government astronaut | A defined government category involving NASA designation, U.S. government employment and specified mission conditions. | NS-31 was an automated commercial flight, not a NASA government mission. The statutory definition is in 51 U.S.C. § 50902, and the FAA describes the category on its human spaceflight page. |
| Everyday or industry usage | The broader, unqualified use of “astronaut” for someone who has traveled into space. | The government-specific definition does not settle every ordinary or industry use of the word. |
The FAA says its 50-mile threshold applies to qualifying people on FAA-licensed vehicles. That is an agency recognition standard; it does not make every qualifying participant a government astronaut. Nor does the government definition establish a universal rule for ordinary speech.
Does the FAA still award commercial astronaut wings?
No. The FAA ended its Commercial Space Astronaut Wings program in 2022. It now recognizes qualifying people who reach space by listing them on its website. The policy change concerned the award program; it did not eliminate the FAA’s stated recognition threshold. The FAA explains the change.
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Did Duffy’s statement change the rules?
The cited FAA material describes the agency’s recognition criteria and the end of the wings program, but does not show that Duffy’s comment changed FAA policy. The statement is best understood as part of a public dispute over terminology, not as evidence of a new legal or agency restriction. The FAA has also described “astronaut” as a title reserved for government astronauts in its discussion of commercial space oversight; that specific government category should not be confused with every broader use of the word. FAA: The Facts About FAA Commercial Space Oversight.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.So, can Katy Perry call herself an astronaut?
For the precise answer, specify the sense of the word. The FAA recognizes qualifying commercial participants who meet its threshold and vehicle conditions; “government astronaut” has separate NASA designation, employment and mission criteria; and ordinary or industry usage is broader. The available sources do not establish a universal rule forbidding Perry or the other NS-31 passengers from using “astronaut” informally.
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The scale of the flight’s representation was notable at the time: the Associated Press reported that women made up barely 15% of the more than 700 people who had traveled into space. That is a contemporaneous figure from its April 2025 report, not a current total.
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