All‑female crew soars into space on historic Blue Origin flight
A female crew led by Lauren Sánchez and Katy Perry ventured into space aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket. The flight lasted approximately 11 minutes and took the participants over 100 kilometres above Earth, crossing the boundary into space. The participants safely returned to Earth.
The well-known pop singer Katy Perry, along with five other women, including Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez and CBS presenter Gayle King, completed their space adventure on the Blue Origin rocket. The flight lasted approximately 11 minutes and took the participants over 100 kilometres above Earth, crossing the boundary into space.
Historic flight of an all-female crew
This is the first all-female crew flight since 1963. The team also included Gayle King, co-host of "CBS Mornings," Aisha Bowe, a former NASA specialist, Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics scientist, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. Sánchez, a licensed pilot, was the mission leader.
During the flight, Gayle King highlighted that one of the most significant moments was hearing Katy Perry sing "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. After returning to Earth, Perry expressed her emotions, saying she felt "super connected to life" and "so connected to love."
The mission aimed not only at space exploration but also at changing the participants' perspectives and inspiring others to share their stories. Sánchez emphasized that the mission has a lasting impact, inspiring future generations.
Blue Origin vs. SpaceX and Virgin Galactic
Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' company, competes with Elon Musk's SpaceX for dominance in space tourism. Flights offered by Blue Origin allow for a brief experience of weightlessness and viewing Earth from a height of 100 kilometres. Previous missions included participants like William Shatner and Michael Strahan.
Blue Origin's biggest competitor is Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, which offers flights at altitudes of 80-88 kilometres. Each of the six passengers pays $450,000 for the trip. In the future, stratospheric balloon capsule flights are planned to allow for longer views.
The women's space flight sparked mixed feelings
The journey sparked mixed reactions on social media. Dr. Tanya Harrison from the Outer Space Institute noted that some criticized the flight as a "marketing gimmick", but she emphasized that it could change the demographics of people interested in space travel.
When asked by "People" about the criticism, the participants stated that critics do not understand what is happening.
- We can all speak to the response we’re getting from young women from young girls about what this represents - added King.
Sánchez, the fiancée of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, emphasized the commitment of the company's employees.
- I would love to have them come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees that don’t just work here but they put their heart and soul into this vehicle - she said.