Katy Perry, Gayle King & Lauren Sánchez Make History with All-Female Blue Origin Spaceflight

Image via Katy Perry / Instagram

In a landmark moment for space tourism and representation, six women—including pop icon Katy Perry, CBS Mornings co-anchor Gayle King, and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez—blasted off to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket on Monday morning.

The all-female crew also featured former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, research scientist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The mission launched at 9:31 a.m. local time from Blue Origin’s site in Van Horn, Texas, and lasted approximately 10 minutes.

The capsule reached an altitude of 62 miles above the Earth, passing the Kármán line, the recognized boundary of space. Traveling at three times the speed of sound, the women experienced a brief period of weightlessness before parachuting safely back to the Texas desert.

As the rocket launched, Oprah Winfrey—watching her best friend Gayle King ascend—was visibly emotional. “I think life is about continuing to grow into the best of yourself,” she said during the live stream. “To be a pioneer, it’s great.”

King, who had long expressed a fear of flying, overcame that fear to make the journey. “I’m so proud of me right now,” she said post-flight. “I just can’t believe it.”

Katy Perry called the flight second only to becoming a mother. “I feel super connected to love,” she said. “It’s about making space for future women and taking up space and belonging.”

Perry even serenaded her fellow astronauts with “It’s a Wonderful World” while in orbit and said she’s planning to write a song inspired by the experience.

This marks Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight and its 31st overall—a historic first with an all-women crew.