Blue Origin is well known for their constant launch delays and technical problems rather than actual rocket launches. And when they do finally manage to send something up, it’s rarely without controversy. That’s exactly what happened with their recent mission. On paper, it was just another short suborbital flight. But when you look closer, the whole thing feels more like a PR stunt than a serious step forward in space exploration.
This latest flight featured an all-women crew, which sounds like a great milestone. But let’s be honest—most of the people on board weren’t astronauts. They were celebrities and billionaires, including Jeff Bezos’s fiancée Lauren Sanchez and pop star Katy Perry. Two of the passengers had some background in science or space-related work, but the rest were clearly there for the headlines, not the mission.
The problem is, Blue Origin acts like these flights are part of some important space legacy. The company promotes them as real missions, and the FAA lists these passengers on the same page as trained astronauts from NASA or SpaceX. That’s where the criticism starts. Because these people didn’t go through any serious training. They didn’t operate the rocket. They didn’t perform any tasks. They bought a ticket, sat in a seat, floated for a few minutes, and landed. That’s not being an astronaut. That’s just being rich enough to afford the ride.
The FAA used to have strict rules for who could be called an astronaut. You had to go above 50 miles, and you had to contribute to the safety or success of the mission. That program ended in 2021. Now, if you fly high enough on a licensed flight, you’re listed online as having reached space. That’s it. No wings, no qualifications, no responsibilities. Just altitude and money.