Space tourism’s rise challenges how we define astronauts and exploration

Space tourists are participants in a crafted, symbolic journey that reflects how commercial spaceflight is redefining what it means to go to space.

On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin launched six women—Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez—on a suborbital journey to the edge of space.