U.S. Transportation Secretary Says Blue Origin’s All-Female Crew “Not Astronauts” by FAA Standards

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sparked controversy this week after stating that the all-female crew aboard Blue Origin’s recent spaceflight do not meet the official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) criteria to be called "astronauts."

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Secretary Duffy acknowledged the crew's courage and style but emphasized the importance of technical qualifications.
“The crew who flew to space this week on an automated flight by Blue Origin were brave and glam,” he wrote. “But you cannot identify as an astronaut. They do not meet the FAA astronaut criteria.”

According to the FAA’s guidelines, individuals must have “demonstrated activities during flight that were essential to public safety, or contributed to human space flight safety” to qualify for official astronaut wings. Blue Origin’s flights are fully automated, and passengers are not required to perform mission-critical tasks during the journey.

The comment came shortly after broadcast journalist and spaceflight participant Gayle King likened her suborbital journey to that of astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space and one of the few who walked on the Moon. Duffy’s statement appears to indirectly rebut King’s comparison.

The reaction on social media has been mixed, with some supporting the need for clear distinctions in spaceflight achievements, while others view Duffy’s remarks as dismissive of a historic moment for women in space tourism.

Blue Origin has not yet responded to the comments.

The debate raises fresh questions about how we define modern space travelers in an era of commercial space tourism, where passengers may reach the edge of space but do not necessarily fulfill the rigorous roles of traditional astronauts.