Katy Perry alongside an all-female crew has finally completed an iconic space mission today. The all-female crew successfully completed Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission on April 14, marking the first all-women spaceflight since 1963
The six-member team launched aboard the New Shepard rocket from Blue Origin’s facility in Van Horn, Texas, at 8:30 a.m. CDT.
The suborbital flight reached approximately 62 miles above Earth, crossing the Kármán line—the internationally recognized boundary of space—before safely returning via parachute after an 11-minute journey.
The all-female crew which joined Katy Perry were Lauren Sánchez, Journalist and pilot, and fiancée of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos; Gayle King, Veteran CBS journalist and co-host of CBS Mornings; Aisha Bowe, Former NASA aerospace engineer and tech entrepreneur; Amanda Nguyen, Civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Kerianne Flynn, a film producer and philanthropist.
The mission aimed to inspire greater female participation in STEM fields and space exploration.
Ahead of the launch, Perry expressed her excitement, stating, “I’ve dreamt of going to space for 15 years and tomorrow that dream becomes a reality”
The launch attracted notable spectators, including Oprah Winfrey, who supported her longtime friend Gayle King. Jeff Bezos provided a heartfelt send-off, expressing his eagerness to hear about the crew’s experiences upon their return.
Altogether, the flight lasted about 10 minutes and 30 seconds. The crew could be heard over the live stream cheering and reacting to seeing the moon.
On her part, Katy Perry did make good on her promise to sing in space, singing “What a Wonderful World” when the astronauts returned to their seats after Zero-G.
As soon as they landed, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and Blue Origin and Sánchez’s fiancé, was at the entrance to open the capsule and welcome the women back to Earth.
As soon as the capsule was opened, both Perry and King were seen kissing the Earth.
Sánchez later stated that the experience was indescribable but to her, seeing Earth was “quiet but very alive.” She also struggled to hold back tears as she recounted the “feeling of joy” she experienced.
“I’m so proud of this crew. Gayle — we were just talking in the capsule — doesn’t even have ear piercings. She’s so afraid to do anything, and she got in that capsule. I think it profoundly changed her,” Sánchez added. “I hope that more people get to see this because I don’t even know how much it’s going to change me. And I want to thank the Blue Team.”
On her part, Gayle King expressed her happiness that she could overcome her fear. “It’s such a reminder about how we need to do better, be better. Do better, be better human beings,” the journalist said. “It’s so nasty and so vitriolic nowadays. If everybody could experience that peace that we had up there and the kindness and what it takes to do what we did — all the people that it took to get us up there and get us back safely. I’ll never ever ever forget.”
While the mission was celebrated by many, it also faced criticism. Actress Olivia Munn labeled the endeavor as “gluttonous,” questioning its relevance amidst global financial challenges
Despite mixed reactions, the NS-31 mission stands as a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight, highlighting the expanding role of women in space exploration.
