Screams of Joy Fill a Celebrity-Packed, All-Female Blue Origin Space Flight as It Lands Safely in the Desert

Katy Perry, who sang ‘What a Wonderful World’ in space, kisses the ground upon landing.

Via YouTube
A grateful Katie Perry kisses the ground after Blue Origin lands safely in West Texas, April 14, 2025. Via YouTube

Blue Origin carried out another successful mission on Monday in a spectacle involving an all-female crew and celebrity observers waiting for their return.

Blue Origin’s crew landed safely in the West Texas desert after a short trip to near space. The New Shepard capsule spent approximately ten-minutes in the air, reaching long sub-orbital space flight. Among the passengers were singer Katy Perry, TV host Gayle King, and Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sanchez.

From left, Kerianne Flynn, Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez, Aisha Bowe, Gayle King and Amanda Nguyen cheer after their capsule landed safely in the desert. Via YouTube

They got about four minutes of weightlessness as the capsule reached its top height about 66 miles above Earth.

Ms. Perry sang Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” after they finished their time floating in the capsule and returned to their seats. “It’s not about me. It’s not about singing my songs,” Ms. Perry said of the choice to sing.

The women were heard screaming with excitement as they descended back to the ground. Ms. Sanchez was first out of the capsule and was greeted with a hug and kiss from her fiancée, Jeff Bezos, before asking, “Where are my babies?”

She said her biggest emotion from the experience was joy. “It was quiet but really alive.” Ms. Sanchez said. “We’re so connected. More than you realize.”

Ms. Perry pointed to the sky holding a daisy in honor of her daughter before bending down and kissing the ground after exiting the capsule. “I feel super-connected to love,” Ms. Perry said of the experience.

Ms. King also kissed the desert floor. She said she was so happy that she got over her fear of flying and took the ride. “I’m still floating,” Ms. King said minutes after landing. “I can’t even believe what I saw. It’s oddly quiet when you get up there.”

Other members of the crew included film producer Kerianne Flynn, former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, and scientist Amanda Nguyen. It was the first female-only spaceflight since a Soviet cosmonaut flew a solo flight as the first woman in space in 1963.

Oprah Winfrey and members of the Kardashian family were among the celebrities who met the crew as they left the capsule.

Not everyone was impressed with the gimmick. Former astronaut Susan Kilrain told ABC News that she was turned off by the “all female” aspect to the flight. She said it was time to get over splitting up the genders. “Send the best people for the job,” Ms. Kilrain said. “It would be nice to have a diverse crew, just mainly for the inspiration alone.”

Mr. Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000. Monday’s flight was the company’s 11th with humans. Blue Origin has not publicized the prices it charges for passengers.


The New York Sun

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