Photo: Kerianne Flynn, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Gayle King and Amanda Nguyen pose for a photo following Monday’s flight. (Screengrab via Blue Origin)
Adapted from Yahoo! news
Blue Origin marked a milestone in commercial spaceflight on Monday with the successful launch and return of its first all-female crew, a moment the company celebrated as historic. The mission, designated NS-31, was the 31st overall and the 11th human flight for the space tourism company founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos.
The brief suborbital journey carried six women past the Kármán line, an internationally recognized boundary of space located 62 miles above Earth’s surface. Aboard the fully autonomous New Shepard rocket were aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, CBS Mornings host Gayle King, pop star Katy Perry, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and media personality and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, who is also Bezos’s fiancée.
A 10-Minute Journey with Lifelong Impact
The launch took place early Monday morning in Van Horn, Texas, and lasted just over 10 minutes. During the flight, the crew experienced several minutes of weightlessness before returning safely to Earth via parachute-assisted capsule landing in the desert.
As the capsule hatch opened, an emotional Sánchez emerged to a warm embrace from Bezos. “Earth looked so— it was so quiet. It was just quiet,” she told reporters after the flight.
Each member of the crew reflected on the experience in deeply personal terms. Bowe, the first Black woman to go to space on a commercial flight, said: “There’s no boundaries, no border. There’s just Earth. I will never be the same.”
Nguyen, a rape survivor and activist for civil rights, brought the hospital bracelet she wore after her assault aboard the flight, calling it her “zero G indicator.” “It was a reminder,” she said, “to never, never give up.”
Perry, who carried a daisy onboard in honor of her daughter, described the moment as second only to becoming a mother. “It’s not about me; it’s not about singing my songs,” she said. “It’s about a collective energy.” She performed a brief rendition of What a Wonderful World during the flight.
King, who has a longstanding fear of flying, said she was proud to confront her fears. “This was not a ride,” she told CBS viewers. “This was a bonafide freakin’ flight.” The experience, she added, was a powerful reminder that “we need to do better, be better.”
Historical Context and Celebrity Support
Blue Origin hailed the flight as the first all-female crewed mission since 1963, when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. Since launching its human spaceflight program in 2021, Blue Origin has sent 52 people into space on 10 prior missions. Bezos himself was part of the inaugural flight.
Notable guests and family members, including Oprah Winfrey, Kris and Khloé Kardashian, and Perry’s daughter Daisy, watched the launch on site. “None of us will forget this day,” Winfrey said during a live webcast.
Backlash Over “Glamorizing” Space
Despite its groundbreaking nature, the mission was not without controversy. In a promotional interview with Elle magazine, crew members spoke openly about their preparations for the flight, including beauty routines and fashion choices. Perry quipped, “Space is going to finally be glam… We’re going to put the ‘ass’ in astronaut.” Sánchez mentioned plans for lash extensions, while Bowe referenced a skydiving test for her hair.
The comments drew criticism from some commentators and members of the public, who questioned the mission’s substance and messaging. Actress Olivia Munn, speaking on NBC’s Today, questioned the societal value of the trip. “What’s the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s a bit gluttonous,” she said.
New York Times opinion writer Jessica Grose was more pointed in her critique. “Some prominent women — the ones able to command attention in our information-saturated world — are going to space for 11 minutes, and they’re using the related publicity to raise awareness about eyelash extensions,” she wrote. “This morally vacuous space stunt should be another nail in the coffin of celebrity feminism.”
A Moment of Inspiration or Missed Opportunity?
While debate continues over the purpose and presentation of the mission, its supporters emphasize the symbolic importance of six accomplished women making the journey together. Blue Origin and Bezos argue the flight serves as a message of empowerment, pushing boundaries in both space travel and representation.
As more private companies enter the space tourism race, questions persist about accessibility, environmental impact, and the broader value of commercial spaceflight. For now, however, the NS-31 crew will return to Earth with a story few can match — and an experience, they say, that has transformed them forever.
