Space tourism company Blue Origin successfully completed its 11th human space flight on Monday.
The April 14 mission, dubbed NS-31, was especially notable for being the first all-woman space flight since 1963—when Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space on a solo mission for the former Soviet Union. The Blue Origin journey was also closely watched because it carried several celebrities, including singer Katy Perry and TV personality Gayle King.
Lauren Sanchez, fiancée of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and a former journalist, was also aboard the company’s New Shepard capsule on Monday as the spacecraft took off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in Van Horn, Texas. Three additional female passengers flew the mission as well, including former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and bioastronautics researcher Amanda Nguyen.
Shortly after takeoff, the New Shepard capsule dropped its rocket boosters and passed the Kármán line, an invisible boundary 62 miles above Earth that’s colloquially known as the edge of space.
After passing the Kármán line, the women were able to look back down at Earth and also to experience weightlessness in zero gravity. After the women were done floating and once again took their seats in the spacecraft, Perry sang a few lines of the song “What a Wonderful World,” according to King.
“It’s oddly quiet when you get up there,” King said on the Blue Origin livestream after the experience. “It’s quiet and peaceful, and you look down at the planet and think, ‘That’s where we came from?’ To me, it’s such a reminder that we need to do better, be better human beings.”
Watching from the ground at the spaceport was Oprah Winfrey—Gayle King’s best friend—who appeared on the livestream to be both nervous and excited for King as the capsule hurtled toward the sky. At one point, Winfrey removed her sunglasses and covered her eyes.
After 10 minutes in outer space, the capsule, which is nicknamed Tortoise, began its descent back into Earth’s atmosphere, successfully parachuting down into the West Texas desert, where it kicked up a rolling cloud of dust and cheers from the spectators at the spaceport upon touchdown.
“Congratulations and welcome back to Earth,” mission control told the women after they landed.
As they emerged from the capsule, the newly minted astronauts were euphoric and emotional. The women cheered, whooped, and embraced Bezos and other Blue Origin crew as they exited the spacecraft to applause from onlookers.
Perry and King both kissed the ground. King said she was especially proud of herself, as she is a nervous flier. "I stepped out of my comfort zone in a way that I never thought was possible for me," she said. "And now that I’ve done it, I really do feel like I can take on anything."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
