Historic spaceflight sends six women past Kármán line, returns crew safely to Earth
Blue Origin has successfully completed spaceflight with the NS-31 mission, the first all-female crew in over six decades. The mission saw six women travel beyond the Kármán line, the edge of space, aboard the New Shepard launch vehicle before returning to Earth, Kazinform reports.
The crew aboard included singer Katy Perry, TV personality Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and media personality Lauren Sánchez. The group was brought together by Sánchez, fiancée of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos.
According to the data from Blue Origin, the mission lifted off at 8:30 AM from Texas and reached 107 kilometers, giving the crew approximately three minutes of weightlessness. During the 10-minute, 21-second flight, the six women floated through the cabin, tumbling in microgravity and looking at views of Earth and the moon. At 8:40 AM, the crew capsule parachuted back to the desert floor for a smooth landing.
The members of the crew shared their emotions and feelings moments after their journey. Katy Perry, who brought a daisy into space in honor of her daughter, described the experience as “a 10 out of 10,” second only to becoming a mother. “I feel super connected to love,” she said.
REPLAY: NS-31 crew heads to the launch pad! pic.twitter.com/sxhM0VbA2j
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 14, 2025
Gayle King described the silence of space and reflected, "And you look down at the planet, you think that’s where we came from. To me, it’s such a reminder about how we need to do better, be better." While floating, Aisha Bowe held up a patch representing the Bahamas, and Perry sang “What a Wonderful World” as they returned to their seats.
The flight was not only symbolic but also historic, representing the first all-female spaceflight since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s 1963 solo mission. “Each of these women is a storyteller who will use their voices—individually and together—to channel their life-changing experience today into creating lasting impact that will inspire people across our planet for generations. Thank you to this remarkable crew for uplifting so many on their historic journey toward the stars and back,” said Phil Joyce, New Shepard’s Senior Vice President.
New Shepard, Blue Origin’s suborbital space vehicle, has now flown 58 people to space, including 4 repeat passengers. Blue Origin’s CEO Dave Limp posted a group photo on X after the capsule landed. “What an amazing crew! Great flight this morning,” he wrote.
Earlier Kazinform reported how Kazakh teens are shaping the future of space settlements with NASA.
