The bottom line is that there is no relevant federal definition of an astronaut. Duffy’s own agency certainly doesn’t claim responsibility for making that designation.
Regardless, it’s not really his call. You may not like Perry’s music or her association with Dr. Luke. But if she wants to call herself an astronaut, there’s no one who can tell her she’s not. Personally, I’m happy to call her one, along with the many other amazing women who have only reached space in the last few years because of the suborbital space tourism vehicles developed by Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic. The more the merrier.
I find it much better to live in a world where space tourism is actually happening, rather than one in which it is not.
Oh fuck no, we already need to make people understand that taking planes has a huge environmental impact so they reduce the amount of air traveling they do, now these guys want to see an ever increasing number of space tourists? Fuck that shit!
Lmao that line got me too. I guess it was meant to sound inspiring or something? I feel like that “format” aims to sound high-minded and wise but boy, did not work here at all.
(Full disclosure if I ever get a chance to go to space in any capacity, damn you all AND the planet, I’m goin)