Blue Origin Successfully Completes Historic All-Female Spaceflight Featuring Katy Perry and Others
Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, marked a historic milestone on Monday, April 14, by completing the first-ever all-female crewed spaceflight. This landmark mission, NS-31, was the 31st overall launch and the 11th human spaceflight for Blue Origin’s reusable New Shepard spacecraft. Notably, it was the first time since 1963 — when Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space — that an all-female group journeyed to the edge of space together.
The crew included a dynamic mix of personalities: global pop icon Katy Perry, television journalist Gayle King, NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, film producer Kerianne Flynn, civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen, and journalist Lauren Sánchez, who is also Jeff Bezos’ fiancée. The initiative was largely spearheaded by Sánchez, and it celebrated the achievements of women from various walks of life. The team’s spirit was reflected in their specially designed mission patch, “the six taking up space,” featuring symbolic elements representing each astronaut’s background and contributions.
The New Shepard lifted off at 9:31 a.m. ET from Blue Origin’s West Texas launch site, reaching the Kármán line — the recognized boundary of space, situated roughly 100 kilometers above Earth. During their brief but unforgettable journey, the crewmembers experienced a few minutes of weightlessness, floating freely while marveling at the breathtaking views of the Earth below and the endless expanse beyond. One touching moment captured during the livestream was Katy Perry’s joyful reaction upon seeing the Moon, exclaiming, “Oh my God, that’s our pink Moon!”
The entire mission lasted approximately 11 minutes and concluded with a safe landing back at the launch site. This successful flight not only underlined Blue Origin’s focus on broadening space access but also symbolized a powerful message of female empowerment and achievement. The NS-31 mission stands as a tribute to how far space travel — and the role of women within it — has evolved over the past six decades.