Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez have hit back at Blue Origin flight criticism with a fiery response.
The pair were part of a six-woman space mission that set off yesterday (April 14), and landed back on Earth 11 minutes later.
Alongside them were singer Katy Perry, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.
The flight took the crew to the edge of space and back in the short time, with the women spending just four minutes experiencing weightlessness above the atmosphere.
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Upon return, many of the members described the experience, with Sánchez saying: “I’m so proud of this crew, I can’t put it into words.
“I looked out of the window and we got to see the moon. Earth looked so quiet, it was quiet, but really alive.
“It was a feeling of joy and camaraderie. A feeling of gratefulness. A feeling of ‘we are doing this’.”
Visibly emotional, Sánchez, who is the fiancée of Blue Origin founder and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, added: “I don’t even know how this is going to change me.”
However, the mission has been hit with a backlash after people took to social media to share their own thoughts on the flight.
On Reddit, one user said: “Is there a reason for this? Or just another vanity project? If so, it doesn't feel great that we are all being told to be sustainable, and the rich are using hundreds of times more resources for an 11-minute sightseeing jaunt.”
Another said: “Billionaires blasting millionaires into space.”
And a third person added: “When she [Katy Perry] said everything they're doing is for the benefit of the earth… They are all so tone deaf.”
However, since returning to Earth, members of the crew have defended their decision to go to space, with King saying ‘anybody that’s criticizing it doesn’t really understand what is happening here’.
Talking to People, she continued: “We can all speak to the response we’re getting from young women from young girls about what this represents.”
Sánchez added: “I get really fired up. I would love to have them come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees that don’t just work here but they put their heart and soul into this vehicle.
“They love their work and they love the mission and it's a big deal for them.”
“So when we hear comments like that, I just say, ‘trust me, come with me. I'll show you what this is about, and it’s really eye-opening’.”