In a major step for space tourism and gender representation in aerospace, Blue Origin successfully launched and landed its first all-female crew Monday during a brief but symbolic 11-minute suborbital flight aboard its New Shepard rocket.
The mission marked a historic milestone for the private spaceflight company and a powerful moment for visibility in an industry where only 15% of all space travelers have been women.
Who was on board?
The six-member team—comprising pop icon Katy Perry, broadcast journalist Gayle King, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, activist Amanda Nguyen, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez, a former journalist and partner of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos—blasted off from Launch Site One in Van Horn, Texas, at 9:30 a.m. ET. Within minutes, they soared beyond the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space at 62 miles (100 km) above Earth.
This marked the first time an all-women crew has gone to space since 1963, when former Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel to space.
11-Minute flight celebrating Women’s growing role in Space
Though brief in duration, the suborbital mission was long in impact. The 11-minute round-trip offered the crew several minutes of weightlessness—enough time to float inside the capsule, perform acrobatics, take in the curvature of the Earth, and reflect on their place in the cosmos.
Katy Perry brought along a daisy in tribute to her daughter, Daisy Dove, and sang a rendition of “What a Wonderful World” mid-flight. “It wasn’t a ride, it was a journey,” she said after returning. “Today, we all felt like we belonged.” The symbolic nature of the mission resonated with onlookers and participants alike.
Gayle King, co-host of CBS Mornings, kissed the ground after exiting the capsule and called the experience transformative: “I stepped out of my comfort zone in a way that I never thought was possible… Now I feel like I can take on anything.”
From Trailblazing flight to Space Tourism
Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight was its 31st mission overall, part of a growing effort by the company to carve out a dominant role in commercial space tourism. Unlike traditional orbital missions, New Shepard flights are fully autonomous and designed purely for passenger experience. The rocket carries its crew just above the edge of space before returning to Earth under parachutes—all within about 11 minutes.
Among the passengers, Aisha Bowe proudly carried a Bahamian flag, making her the first Bahamian woman in space. Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics researcher and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, called the moment “a phenomenal dream” and urged viewers to “never give up.”
Filmmaker Kerianne Flynn likened the experience to “watching a movie you’re also starring in,” while Lauren Sánchez emerged from the capsule humbled, saying the mission deepened her desire to “protect this planet.”
Public Backlash and Crew Response: ‘Not going to let you steal our joy’
While the all-female Blue Origin mission drew widespread praise for its symbolism and historic significance, it also faced sharp criticism from some high-profile voices. Model and actor Emily Ratajkowski labeled the 11-minute flight “beyond parody,” accusing the mission of hypocrisy for promoting Earth consciousness while relying on a spaceflight system backed by a company with a substantial environmental footprint. Others, like actor Olivia Munn, questioned the mission’s real-world value during a segment on Today with Jenna & Friends, calling it “a bit gluttonous” and asking, “What are they going to do up there that has made it better for us down here?”
Online satire quickly followed. Social media was flooded with memes—most notably one showing Katy Perry holding a daisy in zero gravity, captioned “Getting off a commercial flight in 2025 #BlueOrigin.” Actor Olivia Wilde reshared it with the line, “Billion dollars bought some good memes I guess,” while comedian Amy Schumer posted parody videos pretending to join the crew last-minute, mocking the celebrity nature of the mission.
In response, crew members Aisha Bowe, Lauren Sánchez, and Gayle King defended the mission in a post-flight press conference. “I wish those who were criticizing the mission could read the messages in my inbox,” said Bowe. “I am seeing boys and girls around the world say, ‘I’m inspired, and I see myself in this crew.’” King acknowledged the “haters” but said, “I’m not going to let you steal our joy,” emphasizing that the response from young viewers had been overwhelmingly positive. Sánchez echoed their sentiments, stating that the criticism only “fired [her] up” and reinforced the mission’s importance in reshaping perceptions of who belongs in space.
Shaping the future of Space
As Blue Origin advances its efforts to make space tourism a reality, the all-female crew’s historic mission underscores the growing importance of inclusivity in space exploration.
While the 11-minute flight was brief, it symbolizes a larger shift in the industry, where women, from diverse backgrounds, are beginning to take center stage. This milestone highlights not only the personal triumphs of those aboard but also the potential for a more equitable future in space, one where exploration is within reach for everyone, regardless of gender or background.