Katy Perry, Sánchez, Gayle King & others complete historic Blue Origin spaceflight

Pop star Katy Perry, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, CBS Mornings co-anchor Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and research scientist Amanda Nguyen have all safely returned to Earth after a landmark space flight with Blue Origin on Monday morning.

The all-female crew lifted off aboard the New Shepard rocket from Blue Origin’s launch site in Van Horn, Texas, at 9:31 a.m. local time, crossing the internationally recognised Kármán line.

Travelling at Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound), the Blue Origin crew enjoyed several minutes of weightlessness before safely descending by parachute and landing back in the Texas desert at 9:42 a.m.

Those on the ground included Oprah Winfrey, who was visibly emotional as she watched her long-time friend Gayle King soar into space.

She expressed deep admiration for King, especially for overcoming her fear of flying to take part in such a daring journey. Oprah described it as a powerful step in personal growth and wished she could have been on board herself.

Once safely back, Katy Perry and Gayle King both knelt to kiss the ground in gratitude. Perry later said the spaceflight was one of the most meaningful experiences of her life second only to becoming a mother.

Katy Perry spoke of feeling a deep connection to love and unity, and shared that during the flight, instead of singing her own music, she chose to sing a classic song that reflected the collective spirit of the mission.

Gayle King described a sense of peace during the flight and pride in having conquered her fear of flying. She called the moment life-changing and emotional.

The mission marked Blue Origin’s 11th crewed flight and 31st overall, and it represented a milestone in the company’s efforts to open up space tourism particularly for women, as this was one of the few all-female crews to ever fly to space.