One Step for Women, One Giant Leap for Bezos’ PR

Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sanchez and Katy Perry are going up into orbit. But what about women working at the space companies, can they "take up space"?

Next week, Lauren Sanchez, Katy Perry, and an all-female flight crew will orbit the outer edge of space for 11 minutes.

The Blue Origin rocket New Shepard’s 31st mission is the first all-women mission since Russian astronaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo space flight in 1963. The PR blitz in the lead-up to this has focused on a key phrase: “women taking up space.”

There has been criticism. Actor Olivia Munn went on a talk show last week, breaking with the presumed celebrity viewpoint on these trips and calling it “gluttonous” and wondering what Bezos and Sanchez will do for people back on Earth. (Speaking of actor commentary: back in 2021, when actor William Shatner joined Jeff Bezos on a spaceflight, he reported that the trip filled him with profound grief, in that he saw a “cold, dark, black emptiness” that “was unlike any blackness you can see or feel on Earth.” It made him want to turn “back toward the light of home.”)

But celebrities aside, what do women who actually work in the space industry think of all this?

Four years years ago, I published an essay penned by 21 current and former employees of Blue Origin. Alexandra (Ally) Abrams was the only employee to publicly add her name to the list, but she and the other Blue Origin employees described a culture that was demeaning to women and overlooking of certain safety concerns that might have slowed down the rush to space.

I also published an essay from former SpaceX engineer Ashley Kosak, who whistleblew on Musk and his SpaceX culture in 2021 before it was popular to do so.

So I asked Abrams, Kosak, and other Blue Origin female employees who have reached out to me what they think of this flight. Here’s what they said:

Alexandra Abrams, ex-Blue Origin employee: It’s devastating to see women with immense power and influence, like Gayle King and Katy Perry, use that power to boost the image of a company and man other women risked everything to hold accountable for misconduct.

This is fem-washing. One step forward for Blue Origin and Jeff’s image. One step backward for womankind.

Abrams also shared with me three notes she received from women at Blue in the last five months—one of whom claims she was “harassed by HR” for complaining about gender bias, another who said HR told her upon her hiring “oh, you are pretty, if you have any problem let us know.”

Meanwhile, here’s what Ashley Kosak thinks:

Ashley Kosak, ex-SpaceX engineer: I think this mission has sparked a lot of visibility and discussion around whether it contributes to women’s equality within the space sector,” says Kosak. “Ultimately, this group of powerful women is embarking on a brief journey to the edge of space. While visibility is important, as a scientist, I don’t feel it changes my perspective, but I do think it could inspire more teenagers and others who are curious about space.

I was part of an all-female team in college, and it made a difference to experience that dynamic compared to working co-ed. Men do the same on these flights, but no one questions how it benefits them; it’s widely accepted that they’re doing it for the experience and bragging right.

Sure, I felt critical about other Blue Origin missions I might feel critical of this one. Bit I see why they’re all doing it and it makes me happy to see that these celebrities have an interest in space even a little bit. This is beyond a lot of people’s wildest dreams, I’m just glad this crew is getting to achieve this too and they don’t even have to share the cabin with other men. I bet that the women on this flight will walk away feeling much more respected and fulfilled getting to take this trip together.

So Kosak has a more optimistic take. One more:

Anonymous former female employee at Blue Origin: I believe in Blue’s mission—building a future where millions of people live and work in space for the Benefit of Earth. What I didn’t expect was how quickly that idealism would be worn down by a culture of fear, ego, and dysfunction, largely stemming from the top.

Jeff Bezos runs Blue Origin with a style that many mistake for brilliance. He values confidence; and surrounds himself with voices that echo his own. If you’re not an older white man with a PhD, it’s much harder to be heard. Inside my business unit I felt like a “token female”. With Jeff like I was part of a game show where the floor opens and you’re fed to the sharks. Bezos often fixated on what I didn’t know, seemingly delighting in finally asking a question I didn’t know the answer to.

Meetings with him weren’t just difficult—they were degrading. He would publicly mock people, belittle ideas, and treat employees (especially women) with open disdain. His presence created a gravitational field around which the entire company had to contort itself—canceling meetings, rearranging work, rehearsing presentations for days in fear of being the next person to be humiliated.

The centerpiece of this chaos is the Weekly Business Review—a sprawling, hours-long meeting of numerous teams all gathered to show deference to one man’s whims. Despite being billed as a streamlined check-in on key metrics, it became a theater of performative compliance, where real progress was often sidelined in favor of appeasing Jeff. He’s usually late so everybody sits around trying to work until he finally calls in – sometimes hours late from a jet, mansion or the yacht, once even calling in with a toilet clearly visible in the background. The irony of being yelled at for inefficiency in this environment is obvious to all but him.

I did extract meaningful learning from these meetings. Being taught to think backwards and use the PR-FAQ and the 6-page memo from Bezos himself helped me refine my thinking and improve my product.Bezos then undermines his teaching by making erratic strategy shifts and chronically under-resourcing Blue.

Over time, the environment took a toll. I worked 70+ hour weeks, experienced anxiety attacks, and lived in constant fear of being targeted. Eventually, I was. After one meeting, Jeff berated me, then called my senior VP and demanded I be fired. Despite consistently meeting my performance goals—I was fired.

“Jeff has lost confidence in you,” I was told. I lost my job, my unvested retirement contributions, and my bonus. No PIP, no warning, just a phone call and my access yanked. What I kept was a deep sense of how much talent is wasted when companies let power go unchecked.

I haven’t reconciled in my mind how some of the amazing actions (Wally Funk to space, all-female crew) can come from the same person I worked for. I hope Jeff can improve the outcomes at Blue. Jeff -- Blue Origin could still become the most successful company you’ve ever built. Value and listen to the women who work for you. They’re not as glam as crew NS-31 but they will help you get a lot more on orbit for the billions you spend.

Do you have thoughts about this flight or the culture at spaceflight companies? Get in touch with us!

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