On April 14th, popstar Katy Perry, renowned for her musical hits including “Roar” and “California Girls”, embarked on a space exploration flight with an all-women team – Blue Origin. However, the trip positioned Perry at the centre of controversy; many celebrated the launch as a large step for women’s participation in space exploration and STEM, however she also received backlash surrounding wealth inequalities and social irresponsibility.
Funded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, mission supporters praised Blue Origin for embodying female empowerment and women’s abilities to succeed in male-dominated fields such as astronomy. It was labelled a “historic all-women suborbital mission”. However, many observers felt the mission resembled a reality show like Selling Sunset, especially with a huge bell ringing before they boarded the shuttle. The outfits also received attention, particularly because the organizer Sánchez planned them months ahead and even worked with designer Oscar De La Renta creating a striking cobalt blue jumpsuit to “bring a little spice to space.” Many people thought the mission was more about entertainment than making real progress on issues like representation and equality.
Concerns have also been about what such an expensive project could mean. After their 11-minute journey, Katy Perry said in an interview, “I couldn’t recommend this experience more”, leading to criticism of being out of touch, as a billionaire funded the mission and not everyone would have the opportunity to go to space. They commented on the inequity of wealthy individuals framing a private space exploration trip as a feminist victory, when major social issues such as income inequality persist. Resources invested in such missions should address systemic inequalities such as inadequate educational and healthcare access, and economic opportunities for marginalised communities.
Despite the criticism, the mission initiated conversations about Perry’s mission, inspiring young girls to pursue careers in STEM. Showcasing women in space could encourage more girls to enter male-dominated fields, where women are underrepresented. Perry’s massive platform enables her to effectively reach a large audience of young fans, drawing attention to the importance of women’s roles in science and technology.
Blue Origin was condemned for, but ultimately brought light to important issues such as wealth being used to address societal issues and whether such missions truly benefit everyone.
