Out of this world and out of reach: why space is the wealthy’s new favourite playground

What the Blue Origin trip doesn't say about feminism and humanity.

On the 15th of April, a Blue Origin flight with all female passengers took a trip to space. The ‘crew’ included Jeff Bezos’ fiancee Lauren Sanchez, popstar Katy Perry, TV show host Gayle King, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist and bioastronautics researcher Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The rocket took off from Bezos’ launch site in Texas and lasted 11 minutes. There is little information about the cost of a Blue Origin flight but there is a $150,000 (£113,000) deposit to secure a seat. Previous auctions for seats on Blue Origin flights reached $28 million (£21 million).

Lauren Sánchez, Amanda Nguyen, Katy Perry, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, and Kerianna Flynn.Photo: Nicolas Gerardin

The journey is supposedly an iconic moment in feminist history. Such a declaration shows ignorance of actual feminist history. A select group spending hundreds of thousands for a journey to space that didn’t even last a quarter hour is not a win for women. Claiming this wastage as a ‘win’ for feminism is an attempt to dismiss criticism of the trip. Women are on Earth right now, suffering. They are facing discrimination, abuse, loss of rights to bodily autonomy and gender expression. How has this trip advocated for them? That money could have gone anywhere else. This trip is so far in the opposite direction of solidarity that it is completely absent of a perfunctory ‘anyone can go to space!’ because the price tag says otherwise. This superficiality is further highlighted in interviews by the women. All everyone is interested in is how their hair and makeup will look in zero gravity. I wish I was joking. The first all-female flight to space and all fashion magazine Elle can remark on is that this is the first time that women will go to space with hair and makeup done. A giant leap for women indeed, to be chained again to the restrictive beauty standards in another atmosphere. Marketing for space travel promises that the future of humanity lies within it but the Blue Origin flight shows that society on another planet will continue to value a wealthy few.

The interest, the obsession that wealthy people have with exploring and colonising speaks so much to their absence of humanity. They dodge their contributions to society. They have excesses of resources while others are struggling. They shift the blame of our Earth’s damage onto the majority who have little to do with it. Now they suddenly have an interest in space? They would rather put their trust and money into a vast, unknown void than their own planet. It is not for the improvement of society, the wealthy are increasing their focus in space because they are planning to leave the unwealthy majority on the planet they have destroyed. The exclusivity of space tourism at the moment is the appeal and why it’s unlikely to ever see a lower price tag.

The push towards space tourism is also interesting because what we know of outer space hardly compares to the beauty of the places we have on Earth. The wealthy, so aesthetically inclined, so shallow are willing to disregard what an eyesore a new home in space will look like for their survival. That is why space tourism as a concept is not innovative. What is there to see? Why would anyone be attracted to space when we have oceans to swim in, monuments to visit, cuisine and cultures that tell us entire histories in just one taste? The wealthy lack so much in community and care that to even begin to start a new life elsewhere fails at the first hurdle. The potential in scientific development is being disrupted for the whims of the wealthy. At the end of the day, the focus should be back to our beautiful planet.

Chad, a country in Central Africa, known for its beautiful desert landscapes. It is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change that could be accelerated by space tourism. Image credit: Native Eye Travel

The question of how art and culture will develop in space is of little interest to wealthy people. Of course it isn’t. They dismiss the arts here on Earth too, their lack of consideration for such is not a surprise. All of that money they have cannot provide taste. It’s why the empty void of space suits them just fine. The rich’s lack of artistic taste is also seen in the eyesores that they plan for space tourists to reside. It’s freezing in space surely, but these hotels are lacking in such warmth and welcoming, it truly highlights the absence of aesthetics that the wealthy are completely comfortable with. Space tourism is not about the experience or even any beauty that could be found within space. Every wealthy person vying to be the next space tourist is doing it to say that they have the wealth to do so. Lacking in looks and consideration for the majority of other people, space tourism is the wealthy’s favourite activity: a vanity project.

The view of the Earth is part of the appeal of visiting space. But what happens when all this energy used for space tourism accelerates our planet’s demise and there is no Earth to view anymore? The importance of space exploration for us and our planet is another thing the wealthy are draining. There is no nobility in investing billions into space when the rich are so hesitant to cool down their private jets back home. As always, they will force humanity to the background for their own selfish wants. Space tourism ensures exclusion and that is why it will never be accessible to the average person. And the average person shouldn’t want to. We should all be more interested in preserving the Earth in all its beauty. The vast darkness of space will always be there. The same cannot be said for our planet… or our presence on it.

Header image credit: Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC)