Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, Blue Origin, successfully launched its New Shepard rocket at approximately 9:30 a.m. ET on Monday, continuing its push to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the rapidly growing space tourism sector.
What made this mission particularly historic was its all-female crew—the first since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963. This marks the rocket’s 31st flight and its 11th mission carrying humans.
Among the notable passengers were pop icon Katy Perry, “CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, Lauren Sánchez (Bezos’ fiancée), civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen, and aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe.
While the mission was designed to celebrate the contributions of women in space exploration, Blue Origin has drawn criticism for catering primarily to the wealthy—especially during a period of financial uncertainty in the U.S.
Katy Perry, however, offered a broader reflection during an interview with CBS:
“It won’t be about me; it will be about the beautiful Earth we get to see. I think the perspective we’re all going to walk away with is, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to protect our mother.’”
That breathtaking view of Earth, however, comes at a steep cost—$150,000 per seat.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin recently revealed plans for a second launch of its New Glenn rocket, expected to take place later this spring.
