Jeff Bezos’ aerospace firm Blue Origin successfully launched its latest New Shepard rocket at approximately 9:30 a.m. ET on Monday, in an ambitious bid to gain ground on Elon Musk’s SpaceX within the competitive space tourism sector. The mission notably featured the first entirely female crew to fly to space since Soviet astronaut Valentina Tereshkova conducted her groundbreaking solo trip in 1963. This flight marked the 31st total journey for the reusable rocket and its 11th mission carrying passengers aboard.
The distinguished crew included music superstar Katy Perry, “CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King, renowned film producer Kerianne Flynn, Bezos’ fiancée and entrepreneur Lauren Sánchez, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and prominent aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe.
This mission aimed to bring widespread attention to women’s significant contributions and roles in the field of astronautics, yet it also received criticism due to the steep participation cost, highlighting persistent concerns around accessibility and wealth exclusivity amid ongoing economic struggles within the United States.
Katy Perry addressed these critiques directly in a recent CBS interview, emphasizing the deeper value and transformative impact of the experience. “Ultimately, this won’t be about me,” Perry said. “It will be about that extraordinary view of the Earth. I think we’ll all come back with the sense that we’ve got to take better care of our home.”
Still, those seeking to gain their own firsthand experience of seeing Earth from space must be ready to make a sizable investment—reservations for such journeys currently cost around $150,000 per seat.
Meanwhile, looking ahead, Blue Origin has confirmed plans to launch its larger orbital rocket, New Glenn, for its second-ever mission later this spring, underscoring the company’s ongoing ambitions to expand its presence in space exploration and tourism.
