All-female Blue Origin crew back on Earth after space flight

International

A HISTORIC moment unfolded as six women, including singer Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez, the fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, successfully completed a suborbital journey aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.

Their flight, which lasted approximately 11 minutes, marked a notable all-female crew mission that soared past the Kármán Line, the recognized edge of space.

In a report by BBC, Perry joined the mission alongside CBS host Gayle King, who highlighted the surreal moment of hearing Perry sing Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” while in space.

Upon their return, Perry shared how the experience left her feeling “super connected to life” and “so connected to love.”

Launched from Blue Origin’s West Texas site at 08:30 local time, the rocket traveled over 100 kilometers above Earth.

After reaching space and experiencing brief weightlessness, the capsule separated and landed back on Earth with the aid of parachutes.

The booster also made a safe, controlled landing nearby.

This mission included former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

As the capsule door opened, Jeff Bezos welcomed Sánchez, who emerged in tears, expressing, “I’m so proud of this crew. I looked out of the window and we got to see the moon.” She added that Earth looked peaceful and alive from their vantage point.

Perry, visibly moved, kissed the ground and lifted a daisy toward the sky, symbolizing a tribute to her daughter, Daisy.

Gayle King also kissed the Earth and appreciated the moment with a heartfelt gesture.

Kerianne Flynn, the last to exit the capsule, pointed skyward and exclaimed, “I went to space.”

The New Shepard spacecraft operated autonomously, requiring no manual piloting.

The last time an all-female flight occurred was over six decades ago, with Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo mission aboard Vostok 6.

Since then, women have played significant roles in space exploration, but no such all-women missions had occurred—until now.

While many celebrated the achievement, some experts voiced concern about the nature of space tourism.

Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl from the European Space Agency stated that unlike astronauts on scientific missions, celebrities fly for personal reasons and draw disproportionate attention.

Others, like Dr. Tanya Harrison of the Outer Space Institute, described the event as possibly a marketing move, though she acknowledged the positive impact of seeing diverse demographics represented in space.(MyTVCebu)