I Like That Katy Perry Went to Space. Here's Why.

As one of the handful of female CEOs in aerospace this is what I have to say about the all-female Blue Origin flight. Anything that has even an inkling of a chance to inspire a young girl to look into aerospace as a career has my stamp of approval, regardless of if it was in promotion of space tourism or anything else.

I am extremely disappointed and disheartened that after decades of fighting for women in STEM, and fighting for women to be successful, that something that should have been seen as amazing, fun, inspiring, and a testament to how far we've come in private-sector space innovation, instead was totally slammed across the board with hardly anyone mentioning anything positive at all! Here are the facts: every launch is a real risk. And rocket science is still not easy!

Here are some more facts: NASA's budget during the Apollo era was 4.4% of the national budget. That would be $52 Billion in today's dollars. At the time, we were the leader in space exploration and innovation, and the country was united in a shared vision of a future amongst the stars. Space is one of the only endeavors that truly has the capacity to unite us as a species, enabling us to see across borders and political affiliations.

The Apollo era didn’t just put humans on the Moon, it turbocharged innovation across everyday life. Here are some things you might have heard of that came out of the investment we put into space at the time: Memory foam, Cordless power tools, Camera phones, Computer microchips, Freeze-dried food, CAT scans & MRI, Scratch-resistant lenses, Water purification systems, Satellite navigation (GPS precursor), Insulation in homes (radiant barrier), Fire-resistant fabrics, Artificial limbs (advanced materials), Infrared thermometers, DustBusters, Solar panels (refined efficiency), LEDs, Athletic shoe soles, Shock-absorbing helmets, Advanced weather forecasting, and Telemedicine.

Today's budget is a pittance compared to what it was. NASA's budget is 0.35% of the national budget today! That is not something we should be proud of as a nation. And taking cheap shots at Katy Perry just because she seems to be an easy target is not how we are going to reverse this trend. The way the media and the world reacted to the flight shows that we are going in the wrong direction.

I get it. We all hate Bezos because he's rich beyond our wildest dreams. Inflation has skyrocketed, we can't afford groceries, no one can buy a house anymore, and we are all drowning in student loans. Most of us can't afford to have a family. Most of us have to work multiple jobs to stay afloat. There are still tons of homeless individuals that need help. Healthcare is still broken. The stock market is crashing. But I'm here to tell you that 6 women going to space and having an absolute blast during one Blue Origin promo flight is not the problem. And if they didn't go, all of those problems WOULD STILL NOT BE SOLVED. Tone deaf? Maybe. The root cause of the nations problems? Definitely not.

The ethos should not be: the country is experiencing an economic downturn, therefore, we should totally scrap anything positive whatsoever, and no one at all can have any fun whatsoever. And definitely no fun in space! God forbid a young woman might see her favorite pop star having fun in space and look into a career in STEM!

Let us not forget the lives that were lost during the Columbia and Challenger disasters. Lives were lost during my senior year in high school due to a piece of foam breaking off. That wasn't that long ago! People don't get that although we have come a long way, we are not yet (and never will be) at a point where human safety is "guaranteed" when being blasted off the earth in front of several metric tons of rocket propellant.

If I have to be the one person who absolutely loves that Katy Perry went to space. Hi. Here I am.