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Katy Perry and five other women successfully launched into space on Monday on the first all-female mission in more than six decades.
The crew lifted off on board an autonomous rocket made by Blue Origin, the private space firm owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
“I don’t really have words for it,” the billionaire’s fiancée Lauren Sanchez said in an interview following the flight. She said they got to see the moon. “Earth looked just so quiet.”
“It is the highest high and it is surrender to the unknown,” said Perry. “I couldn’t recommend this experience more.”
Perry and Sanchez were also joined by CBS News host Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
The only other all-female crew in 64 years of human spaceflight was in 1963.
The rocket lifted off as part of Blue Origin Flight NS-31 at 8:30 a.m. local time. The craft flew through space for around four minutes before floating back down to Earth, with the entire journey taking a little over 10 minutes.
When in space, Perry sang the song “What a Wonderful World.”
“It was a feeling of joy. It was a feeling of gratefulness,” Sanchez added.
Jeff Bezos takes a tumble on way to greet NS-31 crew
Julia Musto14 April 2025 17:08
This wasn’t the first star-studded Blue Origin launch
‘Star Trek’ actor William Shatner, right, smiles as Planet Labs co-founder Chris Boshuizen looks on after their October 2021 flight. Shatner later said that his trip had filled him with grief (Getty Images)
This wasn’t the first star-studded Blue Origin launch.
“Star Trek” actor William Shatner went to space in October 2021 at age 90.
“It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered,” Shatner wrote later.
‘Good Morning America’ host and former NFL star Michael Strahan embraces Laura Shepard Churchley, daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard. The pair flew in December 2021 (Getty Images)
ABC host Michael Strahan also launched later that year.
Strahan was joined by Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard, for whom the rocket is named.
Julia Musto14 April 2025 16:55
NS-31 marks commercial spaceflight 11 for Blue Origin
This image provided by Blue Origin shows, first row, seated, from left: Lauren Sanchez and Kerianne Flynn and standing in back from left: Amanda Nguyen, Katy Perry, Gayle King and Aisha Bowe in West Texas. The six women make up the crew of the company’s NS-31 mission (AP)
The all-female NS-31 mission was the 11th human spaceflight for the Washington state-based aerospace company Blue Origin.
Blue Origin has declined to say how much the flight cost or who paid for what.
With reporting from The Associated Press
Julia Musto14 April 2025 16:41
Katy Perry reveals reason she brought a daisy on Blue Origin space mission
Julia Musto14 April 2025 16:22
Activist Amanda Nguyen carried scientific research projects onto the flight
Julia Musto14 April 2025 16:22
Aisha Bowe recalls looking down at Earth from space: ‘There’s no boundaries’
Former rocket scientist Aisha Bowe said everyone “looked at each other” when they got out of their seats in space.
“There’s no boundaries. There’s no border. There’s just Earth,” she recalled. “It’s incredible.”
Julia Musto14 April 2025 16:05
When was the last all-female spaceflight?
Monday’s Blue Origin launch was the nation’s first all-female spaceflight.
The only other all-female crew was in 1963 when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova launched by herself, becoming the first woman in space.
Tereshkova spent three days off Earth.
Julia Musto14 April 2025 15:59
Why was Oprah Winfrey wearing yellow for the launch?
American media mogul Oprah Winfrey donned yellow for her best friend’s rocket launch because CBS host Gayle King’s identifying call sign is “Sunshine.”
Julia Musto14 April 2025 15:51
The NS-31 crew saw a pink moon. Here’s what to know
A pink moon hangs in the sky above Earth (NASA)
A pink moon dazzled skywatchers over the weekend.
The fourth full moon of the year, it is named seasonal pink wildflowers known as creeping phlox, according to NASA.
The plant is native to the eastern U.S. and is one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring.
This pink moon is also a micromoon. A micromoon will appear smaller and dimmer than usual, instead of brighter and fuller.
Julia Musto14 April 2025 15:48
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp shares a photo with Jeff Bezos and NS-31 crew
Julia Musto14 April 2025 15:45