U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently criticized the all-female crew from Blue Origin's suborbital flight, claiming they did not meet FAA criteria to be termed astronauts. While acknowledging their bravery, he noted that under revised FAA guidelines, passengers need to demonstrate essential activities to qualify as astronauts. This change contrasts with older regulations that recognized anyone flying into space as an astronaut. Duffy still praised the commercial space industry for showcasing American ingenuity despite the crew only qualifying as 'space travelers.'
"The crew who flew to space this week on an automated flight by Blue Origin were brave and glam, but you cannot identify as an astronaut," Duffy wrote Thursday on X.
"They do not meet the FAA astronaut criteria," he added, pointing to the Federal Aviation Administration's most recent guidelines under the Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program.
"The U.S. commercial space industry is an inspiring project which showcases American ingenuity and exceptionalism," Duffy noted in his post.
"When the now-shuttered Wings Program was launched in 2004, it recognized anyone who flew into outer space as an astronaut."
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