The Blue Origin female "astronauts", credit or insult to women/astronauts

Kermit.de.frog

https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1913003487715094850

Why are these brave astronauts getting so much hate? Is it unfair?

They spent 4 minutes in 'space'.

With the rigorous 2 day training regime on how to get in and out of the seats it didn't come easy.

Isn't this a giant leap for women kind?

Is there anything better you can think of than being stuck in a capsule above the Karman line with Katy Perry singing?

Were you not bowled over by Oprah's tears?

Or, alternatively, maybe you are a woman and find it pretty embarrassing, maybe even mildly offensive?

To be fair two of the women do have strong educational backgrounds in Aeronautics and/or Astrophysics but the approbium seems, rightly or wrongly, reserved for the celebrities and I suppose it's that word "astronaut" that's an issue for many given it seems pretty unfair to skip the whole lifetime education, training, piloting and risk part for that title.

Plus none of them were in control of anything.

On the other hand it must be a cool experience for them personally tbf

Kurooi

Make a rocket as phallic as it gets and put 6 women on it.

Real classy.

Frost Spice

They were just space tourists. Which is a cool thing to do, but doesn't make them astronauts. The stuff about putting the ass in astronaut - well that's an own goal. Saw some article about Katy's makeup holding up too. The relief.

Nah I'm not incandescent with rage and hatred like some are, but I think framing it as if they're on a par with astronauts and all the makeup, sexy stuff... is a wee bit insulting to actual astronauts.

whisky_galore

"Space tourist" is the phrase you're looking for.

I've been occasionally on the jacks bowl for far longer than they've been in space.

suvigirl

Rich people go to space, doesn't make me any more annoyed then rich people go to St Barts.

Its tourism, not space exploration

con747

The only celebrity I gave a sh1te about going to space was William Shatner, he deserved to go.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369626#Comment_123369626

And Travis Walton.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

didn’t bill Cullen, entrepreneur of the Celtic tiger era who survived on four hours sleep and told us all we should work for free , harbour a desire to go into space? I recall some sort of strange competition between him and the guy who ran “ Irish psychics live” over who would be the first lrish man in space🙄. Where is bill Cullen nowadays now that l come to mention him

purifol0

I bear no ill will towards any of these celebs who went into space, I just wish they didn't come back down.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369586#Comment_123369586

Did you generate much thrust?

fits

It’s a bit rich to celebrate this as some sort of accomplishment while proper astronauts and scientists are being fired from NASA

El_Duderino 09

I've rarely seen a story like thus where there's so much agreement in people's reaction.

Going to space is cool, no doubt about that. Buy it wasn't an accomplishment. They qualified by beingfamous and multimillionaires. That's all their qualifications.

Actual astronauts are selected based on a competitive selection process. Being wealthy isn't a qualification. They just bought* a seat on a flight that goes to space.

The guff about being inspirational was nauseating. "If I can do it, then anyone who is famous and has $11m to spare can do it too". Do they think they're normal people or something?

If they'd gone to space and said nothing, they might have has a nice time. Now they have the whole proletariat calling them gobshytes. Must take the shine off the experience.

*I'm seeing that Jeff Bezos sponsored it. So the message is even worse. Free to those who can afford it, very expensive to those who can't

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369796#Comment_123369796

To be fair there has been a good deal of push back.

Plenty of commentary all week about how they are just rich women taking advantage of being rich.

Allinall

Not sure what’s wrong with that?

If I was rich I’d certainly want to take advantage of it, and wouldn’t expect pushback.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369956#Comment_123369956

Would you make it all about how inspirational you are while being famous enough to be sent to space for free?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369956#Comment_123369956

Push back on the narrative that it's some sort of historic "women in space" event.

Push back on the description of it being the first "all women crew since 1960 whatever", when in fact they were just passengers, not crew.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370005#Comment_123370005

Did they not pay for their flight?

cj maxx

The spent 4 ? minutes in zero gravity above the Kármán line A nice experience but to call them astronauts , while technically true is still a bit of a stretch imo

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370013#Comment_123370013

Who created that narrative?

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370022#Comment_123370022

This article says Bezos funded it.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/katy-perry-blue-origin-memes-reaction-backlash-b2735620.html

But to be honest, does it make a difference?

They either went because they have millions of dollars to spare, or they're famous enough to get it for free. An inspiration to other world famous multimillionaires?

nachouser

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/15/lauren-sanchez-katy-perry-space-blue-origin-female-flight

Marina Hyde got there before you, op.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370028#Comment_123370028

Maybe space cadets is a better term.

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/wendys-katy-perry-blue-origin-space-b2735765.html?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1744994076

https://twitter.com/Wendys/status/1911933396550287524

https://twitter.com/Wendys/status/1911939109871923213

So how did the apology demanded go?

We always bring a little spice to our socials, but Wendy’s has a ton of respect for Katy Perry and her out-of-this-world-talent

satguy

It's like saying that passengers on a cable car are now Pilots..

ShagNastii

I’d definitely agree with the people calling it a bit cringe. Modern feminism has complete cognitive dissonance towards any of the pat on head “let’s give the girls a go” kinda stuff.

ancapailldorcha

Just looks like a cheap stunt from Jeff Bezos. Not sure what the fuss is supposed to be about.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370028#Comment_123370028

Zero gravity? Actually no. At the highest that they went, gravity is 4% less than at sea level.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370174#Comment_123370174

Too broad. These muppets were bang out of order claiming they were striking a blow for feminism. They don't speak for all feminist, even if they think they do.

Astral Nav

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370191#Comment_123370191

Fair enough, you get the science (few do!) but they experienced zero gravity as in constant free falling for a couple of mins.

Essentially a rocket powered roller coaster ride. No Right Stuff required, credit to those who really had it and used it, male and female.

The TV presenter lady referred to them flying a similar trajectory as Alan Shepherd. True but he achieved this in 1962 and he was regarded as under experienced by the time of Apollo a few years later. Nothing to be gained by a science less flight with perhaps a minute at most above the Karmen line.

Re the science, every nutter on line thinks it's faked as there was no reentry burn marks. Explaining to them that it didn't have to decelerate from orbital velocity and that it's kinetic energy at apogee was zero is pointless. Why would anyone even bother to fake such as pointless stunt filled with OMGs and pseudo profundity? I'd still have loved to have gone though!

techman1

Im glad they complied with all the health and safety regulations and working at heights, they used the proper equipment to exit the capsule with the little blue ladder and hand rail, very important

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370216#Comment_123370216

I know it wasn't faked. How do I know? If it had been faked, it would have been faked 'better'. There would have been footage of them weightless to begin with.

It probably would have cost more to fake it than just do it.

deandean

Astronauts my ass. The six of them were so unaware that they hardly even looked out the windows to see the amazing view & Earth's curvature - they were more interested in taking selfies.