Not all flights are about where you land... some ...: Lauren Sanchez shares cryptic post on Blue Origin space mission

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ wife, Lauren Sanchez, shared a cryptic message responding to the recent criticism of the Blue Origin space mission. In a recent story shared on the social media site Instagram, she posted a photo of a sunset with the caption: “Not all flights are about where you land... some are about what you learn along the way.” However, Sanchez did not specify the meaning behind her post or what it was related to, but it was shared months after the Blue Origin spaceflight received widespread backlash. Bezos, who owns Blue Origin, got married to Sanchez in Venice in June.

What celebrities and others said about Lauren Sanchez’s Blue Origin spaceflight

A few months ago, the 11-minute Blue Origin mission carried Sanchez, Katy Perry, Gayle King, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, former rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn into space.Meanwhile, Flight NS-31 marked the first launch with an all-female crew since Russian astronaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963.However, these missions also prompted debate, with some public figures and social media users questioning their purpose and environmental impact. To compare, others described it as a symbolic milestone for women in space exploration.Celebrities, including Olivia Munn, Emily Ratajkowski, and Kesha, were among those who openly criticised Sanchez’s spaceflight. In a statement to the Daily Mail, Dr Gareth Dorrian, a space scientist from the University of Birmingham, said: “Let’s call it what it is and not tell ourselves that it is contributing meaningfully to science or space exploration. I am afraid I do still think these flights are essentially just joyrides for the super-rich.”Sanchez and her fellow crewmates did reach space, though some remain unconvinced they should be referred to as “astronauts,” as Blue Origin described them. The New Shepard rocket carried the capsule to the edge of space at nearly twice the speed of sound before detaching, allowing the crew a few minutes of weightlessness.During that time, the capsule crossed the Karman Line, the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. It then returned to Earth, with parachutes deploying as the crew reacted audibly. Just 11 minutes after launch, the New Shepard capsule landed within driving distance of the launch site, where Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos was present to welcome the crew.Blue Origin has promoted the all-female mission as a milestone in spaceflight history, though reactions outside the company have been more divided.