AceShowbiz - Gayle King recently took a journey to the edge of space aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft, along with an all-female crew including pop star Katy Perry, Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sanchez, and aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe.

The intent behind this 11-minute trip was to inspire and foster discussions about space exploration contributing to Earth's welfare. Yet, the mission has received a fair share of criticism, leaving King "very disappointed and very saddened" by the negative responses.

On a segment of "CBS Mornings", King defended the flight, emphasizing that "space is not an either or, it's a both and, and because you do something in space doesn't mean you're taking anything away from Earth. And what you're doing in space is trying to make things better here on Earth."

She supported Blue Origin's mission of exploring ways to tackle Earth's waste problem by looking towards outer space solutions. "Jeff Bezos has so many ideas, and the people that are working there are really devoted and dedicated to making our planet a better place. That's number one," King claimed.

However, many were skeptical of this space tourism. Celebrities like Olivia Munn, Olivia Wilde, Amy Schumer, and Emily Ratajkowski have voiced their criticisms.

Munn called the trip "gluttonous" during an appearance on "Today with Jenna and Friends", questioning, "What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?" Wilde echoed this sentiment, captioning a meme on her Instagram Story with, "Billion dollars bought some good memes, I guess."

Ratajkowski was particularly scathing, releasing a TikTok video where she said, "That space mission this morning? That's end time s***... Saying that you care about Mother Earth and it's about Mother Earth, and you're going up in a spaceship that is built and paid for by a company that's singlehandedly destroying the planet?"

She was referring to previous allegations against Blue Origin regarding environmental harm and high carbon emissions.

Schumer, meanwhile, turned the flight into comedy as she joked about bringing a toy on her space flight, seemingly poking fun at Katy Perry who brought a daisy during the Blue Origin mission.

King remains resolute in her stance that the mission was far from frivolous. She pointed out the impact and inspiration the journey has had on women and girls worldwide. "There was nothing frivolous about what we do," she insisted.

"And I also say this - what it's doing to inspire other women and young girls? Please don't ignore that. I've had so many women and young girls reach out to me, and men too, by the way. Men too that say, 'Wow, I never thought I could do that, but I see you doing it at this stage of your life.' "

The controversy seems rooted in a broader debate about priorities and responsibilities in space exploration, particularly when funded by private entities. Critics argue that such ventures serve as vanity projects for the super-rich while proponents believe that the technology and knowledge gained can significantly benefit humankind.

As King quipped, "Have you been? If you've been and you still feel that way after you come back, please, let's have a conversation."

Both sides present compelling arguments, but perhaps the final judgment rests on future outcomes - whether the inspirations turn into real-world improvements or not. Until then, King and her crew remain committed to showing that space isn't just about what's above us, but also how it might help what's below.