NASA’s Fifth All-Female Spacewalk Eclipses Blue Origin’s 11-Minute Mission

NASA Astronauts Conduct Historic All-Female Spacewalk Amid Katy Perry Comparisons
[Image: Astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain during their spacewalk, working on ISS upgrades.]

NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain embarked on the fifth all-female spacewalk in history on May 1, 2025, spending six hours outside the International Space Station (ISS) to upgrade communications systems and install equipment for new solar panels. Their work aims to boost the ISS’s power capacity by 30%, critical for future missions.

The event drew attention not just for its technical significance but also for sparking social media comparisons to Blue Origin’s recent NS-31 mission, which included singer Katy Perry. On April 14, Perry and five other women—entrepreneurs, a TV host, and Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sanchez—participated in an 11-minute suborbital joyride. Though Blue Origin labeled them “astronauts,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) classifies such participants as “space travelers” since the autonomous flight required no piloting.

[Image: Katy Perry holding a daisy after Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission.]

Critics mocked Perry’s brief spaceflight, contrasting it with NASA’s rigorous missions. Jokes flooded social media, with users asking, “Where is Katy Perry?” and praising “real astronauts astronauting.” Perry faced backlash for her post-landing theatrics, including kissing the ground, and later called herself a “human piñata” due to the scrutiny.

Astronauts vs. Space Tourists
NASA astronauts undergo years of training for months-long ISS missions, while Blue Origin’s passengers receive just two days of preparation. The NS-31 crew reached 66.5 miles altitude—barely crossing the Kármán line into space—but their roles were purely ceremonial. In contrast, Ayers and McClain, who arrived at the ISS in March, represent the pinnacle of space exploration, conducting vital repairs and upgrades.

[Image: The Blue Origin NS-31 crew, including Perry and Sanchez, posing in flight suits.]

A Legacy of Women in Space
The first all-female spacewalk occurred in 2019, with NASA’s Christina Koch and Jessica Meir. Since Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya’s pioneering 1984 spacewalk, over 20 women have ventured outside spacecraft. Today’s mission underscores NASA’s commitment to inclusivity in STEM, contrasting sharply with the spectacle of celebrity space tourism.

Key Facts About Spacewalks

• Definition: An extravehicular activity (EVA) where astronauts exit a spacecraft.
• Firsts: Alexei Leonov (1965, USSR) and Ed White (1965, NASA) completed the earliest spacewalks.
• All-Female EVAs: Five to date, including Ayers and McClain’s 2025 outing.

[Image: NASA astronauts retrieving equipment during a prior ISS spacewalk.]

While Blue Origin’s flights democratize space access, NASA’s missions highlight the dedication of career astronauts advancing human knowledge—a stark reminder that not all space ventures are created equal.