Austin: Pop superstar Katy Perry made history on Monday by joining an all-female crew that launched into space aboard a Blue Origin rocket. This marks the first all-female spaceflight in more than six decades, a milestone that celebrates both gender equality and the advancement of commercial space tourism.
The flight, which took off from West Texas at 9:31 a.m. ET (1331 GMT), reached the edge of space, where the crew experienced a brief but thrilling moment of weightlessness before returning to Earth. The entire mission lasted approximately 11 minutes, as broadcasted live by Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos.
Pop star Katy Perry and five other women launched into space on a Blue Origin rocket and successfully returned to Earth, marking the first all-female spaceflight in more than 60 years https://t.co/oJMXGfR9f5 pic.twitter.com/E0ftaYRb0W
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 14, 2025
This successful flight represents a significant achievement for Bezos’ New Shepard launch vehicle, which is designed specifically for space tourism. Perry, along with five other women, formed the historic crew that included a diverse range of women from different fields. Alongside the pop icon were Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sanchez, CBS host Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, scientist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
During the flight, the crew enjoyed a moment of weightlessness, which prompted Gayle King to recount that, upon returning to their seats, Katy Perry serenaded the crew with a rendition of Louis Armstrong’s iconic song, What a Wonderful World.
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“I feel super connected to love,” Katy Perry said after the successful landing back on Earth, visibly moved by the experience. Holding a daisy flower—chosen to remind her of her daughter, Daisy—she explained its significance: “Daisies are common flowers, but they grow through any condition … They are resilient. They are powerful. They are strong.”
This spaceflight holds historical importance, as it marks the first all-female crewed mission since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made history as the first woman in space. In 1963, Tereshkova orbited Earth during a nearly three-day solo flight, paving the way for women in space exploration.
