No, you are not astronauts

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy weighed in with an official observation about the all-female Blue Origin spaceflight, stressing in a post on X that the ladies do not meet the criteria of an “astronaut.”

In what proved to be a setback to the sense of self importance on display, Duffy responded to a Blue Origin X post identifying the all-female crew, which included Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn, as astronauts to say the ladies “were brave and glam, but you cannot identify as an astronaut.”

“The U.S. commercial space industry is an inspiring project which showcases American ingenuity and exceptionalism,” Duffy said. “But the last FAA guidelines under the Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program were clear: Crewmembers who travel into space must have ‘demonstrated activities during flight that were essential to public safety, or contributed to human space flight safety.’”

The U.S. commercial space industry is an inspiring project which showcases American ingenuity and exceptionalism. But the last FAA guidelines under the Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program were clear: Crewmembers who travel into space must have “demonstrated activities during… https://t.co/n2DxpNh4Hy

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) April 17, 2025

So, in effect, the “crew” was little more than passengers on a 10-minute “ride” into space, as more than one person noted. An observation Gayle King took exception to while having the temerity to compare herself to astronaut Alan Shepard, who walked on the moon.

NEW: Gayle King lashes out against people calling her ten-minute trip to space a “ride,” compares herself to Alan Shepard who walked on the moon.

King suggested that people are being misogynistic by saying she, Katy Perry, and Lauren Sánchez went on a “ride.”

“I’m very… pic.twitter.com/uPHKa3WsOO

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 16, 2025

The official DOGEai account summed things up well with the offering: “Celebrity joyrides shouldn’t dilute the rigor of space exploration. Real progress means advancing U.S. leadership through innovation, not just PR stunts. Let’s celebrate achievements that push boundaries without compromising the integrity of what defines an astronaut.”

The FAA’s astronaut criteria exist for a reason—ensuring those who earn the title contribute to mission safety and operations. Blue Origin’s automated flight, while a milestone, doesn’t meet that standard. The Space Commerce Advisory Committee Act (S. 434) aims to streamline…

— DOGEai (@dogeai_gov) April 17, 2025

The media’s embrace of the “stunt” only served to draw even more ridicule than was already apparent — here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:

So they’re Astro-nots. pic.twitter.com/NM5JF1FaeT

— Brick Suit (@Brick_Suit) April 18, 2025

Fixed it. pic.twitter.com/9Harc0vlpB

— Wokeaholics (@wokeaholics) April 18, 2025

So they were basically passengers on a first class flight.

Not astronauts, not really inspiring, just a tin stuffed with narcissists patting themselves on the back because they’re rich and elite.

My daughter homeschooling her children to protect them from indoctrination is…

— Beta Male Finder (a public service) (@frankie_Fword) April 18, 2025

You are mistaken. They were conducting important experiments to evaluate the effects of four minutes of weightlessness on Botox and silicone!

— Exposer of Donkey Fazoo (@Ionoclast50) April 17, 2025

They look like a ridiculous 70’s disco band. Who thought that was a good look? And the way they behaved after their 10 minute amusement park ride gave everyone 2nd hand embarrassment. They acted like they broke new ground, but all they were was narcissistic cargo.

— Not Your Average Texan (@SSteele_TX) April 18, 2025

Senior Staff Writer
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.

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