During a recent appearance on “TODAY with Jenna & Friends,” actress Olivia Munn criticized Lauren Sánchez’s upcoming private mission aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. As reported by USA Today, Munn questioned the purpose of the 11-minute suborbital flight, saying, “It’s so much money to go to space.” She added, “All the rocket fuel can’t be good for the planet. There are people who can’t even afford eggs… I think it’s a bit gluttonous.”
But is it really greedy to dream and see that dream fulfilled? Especially when the entire purpose of building a space company is to explore space? If no one seizes the opportunity and shows the world that dreams can come true, then what is the point of innovation? For someone as well-heeled as Jeff Bezos, who is currently worth $189 billion, the space trip carrying Lauren Sánchez and her all-female crew, which includes Katy Perry, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn, will hardly make a difference. Spending $40 million is the equivalent of parting with just 0.021 percent of his fortune as the tech tycoon makes nearly $200 million a day.
To put it in perspective, that is like someone with a $1 million net worth spending just $210. Standard ticket prices for Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital flights are estimated between $1.25 million and $1.5 million per passenger. (For reference, MoonDAO paid approximately $1.25 million per seat for two tickets in 2022.) For Lauren and her five fellow flyers, that puts the total ticket value somewhere between $7 million and $9 million. Then there is the cost of the launch itself. Based on Blue Origin’s estimated $100 million annual operating budget and an average of four flights per year, each launch costs approximately $25 million. That brings the total estimated spend for this flight to between $30 million and $40 million.
But this journey is about more than just space travel. It is about inspiring the next generation of explorers and dreamers, embracing adventure, and celebrating personal growth. This inspirational all-female crew is adding another feather to their already impressive caps. Pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics scientist Amanda Nguyen, and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn aim to challenge perceptions by showing that women can excel in both science and style.
And when it comes to spending, Bezos is no stranger to extravagance. He already pays $50 million annually just to maintain Koru, his 416-foot megayacht, and another $10 million for its support vessel Abeona, which carries a helicopter for Sánchez. Her engagement ring, a cushion-cut 30-carat diamond, is estimated to be worth $5 million.
For billionaires, experiences like a spaceflight are rarely about the money, especially when they are also making significant contributions to philanthropy. One can only wonder what Munn will have to say about the three-day wedding extravaganza in Venice, scheduled for June 24 to 26, which may end up costing even more than this trip to space.
