Blue Origin successfully launched the first all-female crew into space on Monday, marking a significant milestone in space tourism. The mission, aboard the New Shepard rocket, included pop star Katy Perry, Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, CBS host Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
The rocket launched from West Texas and reached 100 kilometers above Earth, crossing the Kármán line and entering the internationally recognized boundary of space, for a brief period of weightlessness, before returning to Earth. Perry, holding a daisy in memory of her daughter, was moved by the views of Earth and sang Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” during the 11-minute flight.
This flight also garnered attention for its exclusivity and cost, with Blue Origin charging a refundable deposit of $150,000 to secure a seat. While the ticket prices remain undisclosed, past reports suggest they can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Blue Origin is still in the early stages of making space tourism accessible, and the company aims to reduce costs through reusable rocket technology.