Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its New Shepard rocket on Monday at approximately 9:30 a.m. ET, reinforcing its efforts to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the growing space tourism sector.
What made this mission particularly notable was its all-female crew—the first of its kind since 1963, when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to fly solo into space. This flight marked New Shepard’s 31st overall mission and its 11th to carry a human crew.
On board were pop star Katy Perry, “CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, and Lauren Sánchez, fiancée of Jeff Bezos.
While the flight was celebrated for spotlighting women’s contributions to space travel, Blue Origin continues to face scrutiny for offering experiences that are financially accessible only to a privileged few—especially during a time of economic challenges for many Americans.
Katy Perry, however, shared a broader message during a CBS interview. “It won’t be about me; it will be about the beautiful Earth we get to see,” she said. “I think the perspective we’re all going to walk away with is, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to protect our mother.’”
Tickets for a seat on a New Shepard flight cost $150,000, making the view of Earth from space a luxury few can afford.
Looking ahead, Blue Origin has announced plans for a second launch of its larger New Glenn rocket, expected to take place later this spring.
