The Complex Reality of “Girlbosses” In Space

This week the first all-female crew for a “manned” spaceflight headed to space—for ten minutes—on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. One of the passengers was pop singer Katy Perry who reportedly broke into song while on the flight (What a Wonderful World) and promptly kissed the ground when she landed safely back to Earth. Again, she was gone for ten minutes. Of course, the backlash was swift and fierce, which surprised some of the passengers. People online called it everything from a publicity stunt (true) to a complete waste of money (maybe true). Katy Perry, to her credit, did exactly what she has always done and owned her own choices while offering soundbites along the way: “We’re putting the ass in astronaut!”

Not exactly the sort of female empowerment that the world needs, but the fact that this is the first all-female space mission is historically significant. This underscores the biggest problem with private space travel itself: it may simultaneously be something great for the future of humanity and a “vacuous PR stunt” too. In the rush to criticize or praise it, we can easily miss this fact. Good things can be done for selfish reasons. Just as world-shifting inspiration can come from unexpected places. Even someone who’s greatest contribution to science is putting the ass in astronaut.