Blue Origin Makes History with First All-Female Spaceflight Since 1963

Blue Origin made history Monday morning with the successful launch and landing of its first all-female crew aboard the New Shepard rocket. This mission marked the company’s 11th human spaceflight and the first all-women space mission since 1963, a significant milestone in the journey of space exploration and gender representation.

The six-member crew included global pop superstar Katy Perry, “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King, journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. Liftoff took place at approximately 9:30 a.m. ET from Blue Origin’s West Texas launch site, carrying the crew 62 miles above Earth to the Kármán line—the internationally recognized boundary of space. Inside the capsule, cheers and excitement erupted as the crew experienced a few moments of weightlessness before returning safely to Earth.

This historic mission also marked several personal and national milestones. Aisha Bowe became the first Bahamian to travel to space, while Amanda Nguyen became the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman to do so. The flight is the first all-female space mission since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo journey in 1963.

Upon landing, the women shared emotional reflections on their experience. Katy Perry kissed the ground and lifted a daisy to the sky in honor of her daughter, describing the journey as deeply emotional and spiritually moving. Gayle King spoke of the peacefulness of space and urged for more kindness and empathy here on Earth. Lauren Sánchez emphasized the importance of storytelling and diverse representation in future space exploration.

The morning unfolded with the crew arriving at the launch site at 8:45 a.m., entering the capsule and strapping in shortly before 9 a.m., closing the hatch at 9:06 a.m., and lifting off at exactly 9:30 a.m. The capsule touched down safely around 9:55 a.m., closing a powerful and symbolic chapter in aerospace history.

With this landmark achievement, Blue Origin has once again pushed the boundaries of innovation while spotlighting inclusion, empowerment, and the future of women in space.

Sources: cbs news | @cbsmornings | sky news