This week, Jeff Bezos’ private spaceflight start-up, Blue Origin, launched six well-known women into space, including the pop star Katy Perry and the broadcast journalist Gayle King. It was the first spaceflight to have an all-female crew in 60 years.
Did you watch or follow the news about the flight? Do you think it was a significant achievement for women’s equality? Or merely a publicity stunt?
What do you think of the growing wave of space tourism? Are you excited by the possibility of space travel? Or do you fear it will remain a plaything of the rich and famous?
In “Blue Origin Crew Including Gayle King and Katy Perry Returns Safely After Space Launch,” Amanda Holpuch writes about the all-female flight on Monday:
The broadcast journalist Gayle King and the singer Katy Perry made a brief trip into space on Monday on a flight operated by Jeff Bezos’ private company, Blue Origin. It was the first time an all-female crew had been to space since 1963.
Their flight, on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, lasted 10 minutes and 21 seconds and took off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas, about 120 miles southeast of El Paso at 8:30 a.m. local time.
After the flight, Ms. King exited the crew capsule and said, “I would just like to have a moment with the ground,” before kneeling.
Ms. King had spoken before the launch about being afraid of the trip.
“I stepped out of my comfort zone in a way that I never thought was possible for me,” Ms. King said. “And now that I’ve done it, I really do feel I can take on anything, anything.”
Ms. King said that Ms. Perry sang “What a Wonderful World” during the flight.
“It’s not about singing my songs, it’s about a collective energy in there,” Ms. Perry said after they returned to Earth.
It was the 11th human flight for the New Shepard program, which had previously flown 52 people, including repeat astronauts, above the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth.
Flights on the New Shepard rocket, which provide for a few minutes of weightlessness, do not have a pilot.
The article notes that while this was a flight of firsts — including the first person of Bahamian heritage and the first Vietnamese woman to go to space — some criticized the space mission and the attention it garnered:
But some critics have chafed at the suggestion that the all-female crew represented a moment of feminist progress. The New Shepard program, the centerpiece of Blue Origin’s space tourism business, is an avenue for the wealthy, powerful and well-connected to go to space.
Olivia Munn, an actress, called the trip “a bit gluttonous” during a guest hosting appearance on “Today with Jenna & Friends” this month.
“I know this is not the cool thing to say, but there are so many other things that are so important in the world right now,” Ms. Munn said. “What are you guys going to do up in space?”
In an interview on “CBS Mornings” aired on Friday, a host, Vladimir Duthiers, asked Ms. King if she was concerned that the flight was an advertisement for Mr. Bezos, the founder of Amazon. Mr. Duthiers noted that Mr. Bezos has been under scrutiny because of business practices at Amazon and his ownership of The Washington Post.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
Are you fascinated by space — the moon, the stars and other celestial bodies? If not, why do you think so many others are captivated by the cosmos and its mysteries? Have you ever dreamed of becoming an astronaut or working for NASA?
What’s your reaction to the all-female celebrity spaceflight? Do you find it inspiring? Do you think it represented a “moment of feminist progress”? Or do you see it as a publicity stunt for a space tourism business that caters to the wealthy and powerful?
Gayle King said after the flight: “I stepped out of my comfort zone in a way that I never thought was possible for me. And now that I’ve done it, I really do feel I can take on anything, anything.” If you had flown on the Blue Origin mission, what would have thrilled you most about the ride? Making history? Experiencing weightlessness? Viewing Earth from orbit? Something else?
In “One Giant Stunt for Womankind,” a related Critic’s Notebook essay, Amanda Hess writes that if Blue Origin’s all-female flight proves anything, it is that “women are now free to enjoy capitalism’s most decadent spoils alongside the world’s wealthiest men.” Do you agree? Is space tourism a frivolous endeavor? Is it a waste of money and human ingenuity? Or is it a worthwhile venture, much like the pioneering efforts with early flying machines many decades ago?
If you had an opportunity to go anywhere in space, where would you visit? The moon? Mars? Another planet? Or even beyond our solar system? Why? If you don’t want to journey to outer space, where would you prefer to go instead?
Make some predictions: Will space tourism ever become a reality for anybody but the superrich and famous? Will it one day become as ordinary as air travel? Do you think you will travel to space during your lifetime?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
