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The Blue Origin rocket carrying pop superstar Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, and Jeff Bezos’ fiancee Lauren Sanchez successfully launched from West Texas, marking the company’s 11th human flight. The all-female crew also included former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyn, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
The sub-orbital flight lifted off from West Texas just after 8:30am (local time) and lasted around 10 minutes. The fully automated mission took the crew more than 100km above Earth, past the Karman line—the internationally recognised boundary of space—where the women experienced a few moments of weightlessness.
This marks Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight and the first all-woman space mission since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963. The mission adds Perry to the list of high-profile Blue Origin passengers, including Star Trek actor William Shatner.
Ahead of the flight, Perry spoke about how she had been preparing mentally by reading works by Carl Sagan and diving into astrophysics. “I’ve always been interested in the stars. We’re all made of stardust,” she said. She added that the mission was about more than space travel — it was about breaking boundaries and inspiring young girls to dream big. “You’re brave, you’re bold… No limitations,” she said, reflecting on her internal pep talks before training.
The pop icon, known for space-themed songs like E.T. and Firework, said the mission aligns with her interest in STEM and women’s empowerment. “Being a mother just makes you level up with that type of power,” she added, referring to her daughter Daisy.
Blue Origin described the flight as a historic moment for women in space, with the mission patch reflecting each woman’s contributions and symbols of their legacies. The New Shepard astronauts soar toward space at speeds exceeding three times the speed of sound.
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