Lauren Sánchez and Gayle King Address Blue Origin Flight Backlash

On Monday morning, King and Sánchez — who is Jeff Bezos’ fiancée — along with pop star Katy Perry, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn launched into space in Bezos’ Blue Origin New Shepard rocket, and returned home, completing their mission.

After the all-female crew’s 11-minute flight, the group addressed backlash surrounding flight NS-31, which began even before Monday’s launch, with actress Olivia Munn publicly slamming the flight during a recent TV appearance. The criticism continued following the launch.

While speaking with PEOPLE during a post-flight press conference, both King and Sánchez hit back.

“Anybody that’s criticizing it doesn’t really understand what is happening here,” King, 70, said.

Sánchez chimed in, telling press, “I get really fired up.”

“I would love to have them come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees that don’t just work here but they put their heart and soul into this vehicle,” she continued of her fiancé’s space technology company. “They love their work and they love the mission and it’s a big deal for them.”

“So when we hear comments like that, I just say, trust me. Come with me. I’ll show you what this is about, and it’s, it’s really eye opening,” she concluded.

Bowe, meanwhile, also weighed in, according to PEOPLE, initially sharing similar sentiments as Sánchez. She pointed out that she wished “those who are criticizing the mission could read the messages in my inbox.”

Bowe — an aerospace engineer — went on to bring up the bigger picture, as a woman who has works in the field.

“When I decided that I was going to pursue aerospace engineering, it was after my high school guidance counselor told me that I should pursue cosmetology because she did not think that I would be suited for this field,” she shared. “I went from pre-algebra in community college to two degrees in aerospace engineering to working for NASA to being able to sit on the stage and say it is bigger than the criticism.”

Sánchez, King, and Bowe’s remarks come as the rocket launch received major backlash and criticism online, with people branding the flight as tone-deaf, “vanity project,” and “fever dream.”

While guest co-hosting Today With Jenna and Friends with Jenna Bush Hager earlier this month, Munn blasted the all-female mission, slamming it as “gluttonous” and “costly.”

“What are they doing?” Munn asked, adding, “I know this probably isn’t the cool thing to say,” she added. “But there are so many other things that are so important in the world right now.”

The actress was shocked when Bush Hager informed her of the group’s plan to get glam before the flight, and Perry’s comments of how they promised to “put the ‘ass’ in astronaut.”

“What? They said this out loud?!” Munn said, before she continued to rant, “What’s the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s a bit gluttonous. Space exploration was to further our knowledge and to help mankind. What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”

In addition to the resources being spent and the impact the flight will have on the environment, Munn noted that the ride seems a bit tone-deaf at a time when many in America can’t even afford to buy eggs.

“I know this is probably obnoxious, but like, it’s so much money to go to space, and there’s a lot of people who can’t even afford eggs,” Munn said, before offering the fully female crew more of her hot take: “If you wanna go to space, why do you need to tell us about it, you know? It’s just like, go up there, have a good time, come on down.”

Following Monday’s flight, other celebrities joined Munn in expressing criticism, including Meghan McCain and Olivia Wilde.

“Katy Perry and Gayle King being launched into space while publicly saying they are bringing the ‘ass back in astronauts’ and ‘makeup/glam is important for the mission’ is some kind of black mirror parody and you can’t convince me otherwise,” McCain wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Wilde, meanwhile, reshared an X post on her Instagram Stories that featured a funny reaction to the launch, and like Munn, called out the costly flight, writing, “Billion dollars bought some good memes I guess.”

NS-31 blasted off on Monday morning from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in western Texas. The New Shepard traveled more than 60 miles above Earth, and the flight lasted 11 minutes, according to Blue Origin, per ABC News. It was the first all-female spaceflight since 1963.