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The recent flight, heralded as a landmark moment for women in space, lifted off with a crew that included notable personalities like television journalist Gayle King. Although the mission, which lasted a mere 11 minutes, successfully reached the edge of space, it has drawn skepticism regarding whether these women can truly be hailed as astronauts. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which sets the guidelines for astronaut qualification, issued a statement clarifying that the participating crew members did not perform any mission-critical activities that would meet the stringent standards required of astronauts.