April 14, 2025 (Prime Africa News) – In a groundbreaking moment for space travel and gender representation, an all-female crew featuring pop icon Katy Perry, veteran journalist Gayle King, and philanthropist and media personality Lauren Sánchez lifted off aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket on Monday, marking the first all-women space mission in more than six decades.
The mission, designated NS-31, took off from Blue Origin’s private launch site in West Texas at exactly 9:30 a.m. ET, ascending past the Kármán Line—the internationally recognized boundary of space at 100 kilometers above sea level. The suborbital flight lasted approximately 10 minutes and 22 seconds, giving the crew a rare and exhilarating taste of weightlessness before safely returning to Earth with the aid of parachutes.
Joining Perry, King, and Sánchez on this historic flight were civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The mission served as a celebration of female empowerment, leadership in science and technology, and the advancement of commercial spaceflight.
“I’ve dreamt of going to space for 15 years and tomorrow, that dream becomes a reality,” Perry shared with her millions of social media followers ahead of the launch.
During the brief moments of zero gravity, Perry serenaded the crew with a poignant rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”, a choice she later explained was rooted in gratitude and a sense of global unity.
“It’s not about singing my songs,” she said after landing. “It’s about collective energy and making space—literally and figuratively—for future generations of women.”
King, co-host of CBS Mornings, emphasized the deeper meaning of the journey, noting it wasn’t about fame, but legacy. “We hoped Katy would sing one of her hits, but in that moment, we all understood—it was about something bigger.”
Sánchez, a licensed pilot and key advocate for women in aerospace, described the view from space as “quiet, but also really alive,” capturing the awe of seeing Earth from above. In a lighthearted moment, she added, “I had to come back—I mean, we’re getting married,” referring to her engagement to Amazon founder and Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos.
Among those cheering from Earth was Perry’s daughter, Daisy, and media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who called the mission “a cathartic breakthrough” and praised the crew’s courage.
“This is bigger than just going to space,” Winfrey said. “This is about breaking walls of fear and showing what’s possible.”
The New Shepard rocket, part of Blue Origin’s reusable suborbital fleet, has now completed 11 crewed flights, carrying a total of 52 passengers since its debut in 2021. The company is among a small cadre of commercial space pioneers, including SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, reshaping the future of human space exploration.
However, not everyone is celebrating. Critics of space tourism continue to raise concerns about environmental impact and resource allocation. Former European Space Agency head Jan Wörner recently questioned whether such ventures serve the public good, warning they must not come at the expense of scientific research and global development priorities.
Despite such criticisms, the mission is being widely hailed as a landmark achievement for women in STEM and global representation in space.
Perry’s final words after touchdown captured the mission’s spirit:
“I wanted to model courage, worthiness, and fearlessness. This journey was for every little girl who looks up and thinks, ‘maybe I can go too.’”
As the commercial space race intensifies, the NS-31 mission stands out not just for its technical success, but for its emotional and cultural impact—a message to the world that the sky is no longer the limit for women everywhere.
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