Pop star Katy Perry, along with five other high-profile women, safely returned to Earth after a suborbital journey aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket. The 11-minute flight took the crew more than 100 km (62 miles) above the Earth—crossing the boundary of space and offering a brief experience of weightlessness.
Joining Perry were Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, CBS host Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The mission marked a rare all-female crewed spaceflight, the first since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo mission in 1963.
After their capsule touched down with a parachute-assisted landing in West Texas, emotional moments followed. Katy Perry kissed the ground and lifted a daisy skyward, a nod to her daughter, while Gayle King also knelt, saying, “I just want to appreciate the ground.” Flynn stepped out last, joyfully declaring, “I went to space!”
Sánchez, tearfully speaking after landing, said, “Earth looked so quiet, but really alive,” and shared that they’d seen the moon from space. Bezos himself opened the capsule door, welcoming the crew back.
The launch was watched by an audience of celebrities, including Khloé Kardashian, who described the moment as “emotional and full of adrenaline.” Oprah Winfrey praised her friend Gayle King, noting her fear of flying and calling the spaceflight a triumph over personal fear.
The New Shepard rocket is fully autonomous and reusable, requiring no pilots. Blue Origin trains passengers over two days in zero gravity safety, emergency procedures, and physical preparation.
This mission sparked conversation about the value of space tourism. Some critics argue such celebrity-led flights prioritize spectacle over science and reinforce inequality due to their high cost—deposits start at $150,000. Actress Olivia Munn questioned the optics, noting, “There’s a lot of people who can’t even afford eggs.”
However, Gayle King pushed back on the criticism. “Anyone who’s questioning what we’re doing here doesn’t really understand it,” she said, emphasizing the mission’s inspiration for young women.
Environmental concerns also surround the rise of space tourism. Though Blue Origin claims its engines emit only water vapor, scientists warn that injecting water into the upper atmosphere can disrupt the ozone layer and affect climate.
Still, advocates like Professor Brian Cox argue that private spaceflight plays a key role in pushing innovation. “Our civilization needs to expand beyond our planet for so many reasons,” he said.
Blue Origin, founded by Bezos in 2000, is also working on reusable rockets and lunar landing systems as part of its broader space infrastructure goals.
Whether seen as progress or privilege, the high-profile flight has reignited debate over who gets to explore space, and why.
