Blue Origin Completes Launches Space
Blue Origin completes launches space, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, sent his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, into space on Monday, accompanied by an all-female group of celebrities that included Gayle King and Katy Perry.
This marks another milestone in the growing trend of space tourism, where high-profile individuals – whether wealthy, famous, or well-connected – are gaining access to the once-exclusive domain of trained astronauts.
New Shepard Rocket
The New Shepard rocket launched from West Texas, taking the crew on a brief suborbital flight. The journey reached the edge of space, about 66 miles (107 kilometers) above Earth, giving the passengers a few minutes to experience weightlessness.
Lauren Sanchez Gayle King
Lauren Sanchez, a licensed helicopter pilot and former television journalist, gathered a group of women for the 10-minute, fully automated spaceflight, adding celebrity appeal with singer Katy Perry and “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King Blue Origin completes launches space.
Inspired by the awe-inspiring view of Earth from space, Perry was moved to sing “What a Wonderful World.”Joining them were film producer Kerianne Flynn; Aisha Bowe, a former NASA engineer who now runs companies aimed at promoting STEM education; and Amanda Nguyen, a scientist who once studied exoplanets and now advocates for survivors of sexual assault.
Blue Origin completes launches space chose not to reveal the price of the trip or identify who paid for it. The mission took place only two months before Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos’s planned wedding in Venice.
This flight was the 11th human spaceflight conducted by Blue Origin completes launches space, the aerospace firm Bezos launched in 2000 after building his fortune with Amazon. Bezos himself flew on the company’s inaugural space tourism mission in 2021 and was present to see the most recent crew off at the launch site.
First Time in U.S. Spaceflight History
This launch marked the first time in U.S. spaceflight history that an entire crew was composed of women. The only previous all-female mission in the 64-year history of human space travel occurred in 1963, when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to venture into space on a solo three-day mission.
Former NASA Astronaut Mae Jemison
Even with this achievement, women still comprise fewer than 15% of the over 700 individuals who have traveled to space. Sanchez said she intentionally selected an all-female team for the flight, hoping each participant would inspire people of all ages to pursue their dreams. She went as far as commissioning personalized flight suits for the event.
The launch drew a prominent crowd to West Texas, including Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner, various members of the Kardashian family, Blue Origin completes launches space and former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison, who became the first Black woman to travel to space in 1992.
What a Wonderful World
Several women with prior private spaceflight experience were also present. Winfrey, a longtime friend of Gayle King, became emotional as the capsule entered space, wiping away tears while the passengers excitedly pointed out the moon and celebrated the moment with joy.
As the crew prepared for their return journey, Katy Perry began to sing. Despite encouragement from her crewmates to sing one of her own hits, such as “Roar,” she opted to perform the timeless classic “What a Wonderful World” instead.
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“It’s not about me or my songs,” Perry clarified after the flight.It was about the unity and shared energy we experienced up there. It was about all of us.” Later, during a press conference, she added, “We weren’t just filling seats—we were creating space for what’s to come.”
When the capsule landed, Jeff Bezos personally opened the hatch, greeting Lauren Sanchez with a hug as she stepped out first.
- Perry and Gayle King came out next, kneeling down and pressing their lips to the ground.
- “That was absolutely incredible,” said King, who admitted she usually gets nervous flying in airplanes.
Hours after the trip, Sanchez reflected on the experience, still processing the magnitude of it all. ““If I had to pick a single word, it would be ‘profound,’” she stated.
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This flight was not Blue Origin completes launches space first mission featuring prominent public figures.
In 2021, actor William Shatner, best known for his role in Star Trek, journeyed to space with Blue Origin completes launches space at the age of 90, just after Jeff Bezos’s landmark flight.
He was subsequently joined by Michael Strahan, the former New York Giants defensive end and TV host, along with Laura Shepard Churchley, the daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut.
in space and the namesake of the rocket. Wally Funk and Ed Dwight, both aviation pioneers who had missed their chance to fly to space in their younger years, also made the trip at ages 82 and 90, respectively.
The majority of Blue Origin’s passengers – 58 in total, including the latest flight – have been professionals from business, science, television, or social media.
The company keeps ticket prices confidential.
The Russian Space Agency began accommodating space tourists in 2001, starting with a California-based financier. Blue Origin completes launches spaceTwo decades later, a Russian actress shot a film aboard the International Space Station.
NASA’s Next administration
Elon Musk’s SpaceX offers multi-day trips to private clients as well. The company’s first paying customer, billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, has already completed two spaceflights and became the first private individual to perform a spacewalk. Isaacman is now nominated to become NASA’s next administrator, pending Blue Origin completes launches space Senate confirmation.
Chun Wang, a Chinese-born Bitcoin investor, recently returned from a groundbreaking flight that was the first to travel over both the North and South Poles. Wang covered the entire cost for himself and three polar explorers, although the price remains undisclosed.
