Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, and Gayle King soar to space in a historic all-women Blue Origin flight

On Monday morning, six women including pop icon Katy Perry boarded a Blue Origin rocket in West Texas and took off on a short flight to space. The crew spent just over 10 minutes on the journey, experiencing those minutes of weightlessness before they safely returned to Earth.

What made this flight stand out, though, wasn’t just the celebrity presence. This was the first time in over six decades that an all-women team flew to space together. The last time anything close happened was in 1963, when Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to orbit Earth, alone, on a Soviet mission.

The flight, on Blue Origin’s reusable New Shepard rocket, climbed more than 100 km above Earth, crossing the Kármán line, the accepted boundary of space. With no pilot needed, the capsule was fully autonomous. Once back, it made a smooth landing with parachutes, cheered on by an emotional crowd that included Oprah Winfrey, Khloe Kardashian, and Kris Jenner.

Joining Perry were Lauren Sánchez, fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos; CBS anchor Gayle King; former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe; scientist and activist Amanda Nguyen; and producer Kerianne Flynn. Inside the capsule, Perry sang “What a Wonderful World” after their float through zero gravity, holding a daisy she brought for her daughter, also named Daisy.

The all-female Blue Origin team poses marking a historic moment in private space travelBlue Origin

Outside the capsule, reactions varied. Supporters praised the team for breaking barriers and inspiring young girls. Others called the mission a publicity event for the ultra-rich. Critics pointed out the steep price tag, with deposits starting at £120,000 (₹12.6 million) and some estimates putting the real cost per seat at over £400,000 (₹42 million).

Critics from the scientific community questioned whether such trips add value to space research. “It’s tourism, not exploration,” said one European space policy advisor. Meanwhile, Blue Origin says the goal is long-term: to make space more accessible through reusable rockets and infrastructure.

The all-female Blue Origin crew poses confidently capturing a landmark moment for women in private space travelBlue Origin

Still, for the women on board, the moment felt surreal. “I feel deeply connected to love,” Perry said after returning. Sánchez said seeing the moon from space brought her to tears. And King, who has a fear of flying, said the experience was her way of facing a lifelong fear.