Space is not a stage: fame should not overshadow science

Earlier this month, Blue Origin, an American space company founded by Jeff Bezos, launched its most talked-about mission yet: an all-female space crew aboard the New Shepard flight.

For many, the 11-minute flight was a step in the right direction. The all-female crew had soared past the glass ceilings of space exploration, paving the way for more inclusive space projects. While the flight, with its all-female crew and climate-conscious propulsion system, was a sign of progress, many on social media failed to grasp the goal of the flight.

To start, the flight was barely in space. The 11-minute flight ascended to an altitude of 66 miles, barely passing the official space boundary, known as the Var Kármán line, located at 62 miles above sea level. This fact only came to light when viewers on social media questioned why the crews’ hair did not stand up as much as those on other flights.

On a positive note, Blue Origin made advances to prevent space climate change with the use of liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuel; however, it still contributes to climate change. The combustion process still depletes the ozone layer. So again, the progress is good, but there is still a long way to go.

Lastly, the chosen crew was quite inequitable. Women should have a role in space exploration, but those who have dedicated their lives to research and science deserve opportunities to be aboard the Blue Origin flights the most. Lauren Sanchez, Gayle King, Kerianne Flynn, and even pop star Katy Perry were among the most celebrated faces during the launch cycle. But none of them are space researchers. None have contributed to space science or policy. There is no denying that they have accomplished important milestones in their respective fields of philanthropy, singing, and daytime TV — but science is not one of them.

Meanwhile, women like Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist whose advocacy for sexual violence survivors led to a Nobel Peace Prize nomination as well as being awarded as one of Time’s 2025 Women of the Year, are pushed out of the spotlight. She is the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman to go to space, and her work focuses on women’s health. While in space, Nguyen conducted two science experiments for wound dressing in microgravity and an MIT-designed spacesuit.

Another important person on the flight was Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist who founded a science education company for students. She is also the first person of Bahamian descent to embark on a space flight, yet she barely got a headline. These are the women who should be front and center in our conversations about progress and the future of space research.

All women, high-profile or not, deserve recognition for their progression. But those with a high-profile presence should not overshadow the resilient, often invisible work of those who have had to fight for a seat. As a society, we need to drift away from a fame-following culture to one that values quiet determination.

We should celebrate women breaking into industries historically dominated by men, but we should celebrate everyone, not just the popular few.

So next time, let us give our flowers to the women who are quietly revolutionizing the future of space, not the ones who just brought a flower onboard.