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Washington, D.C. – In a historic and star-studded mission, global pop icon Katy Perry joined five other pioneering women on a suborbital spaceflight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket on Monday. The mission marked the first all-female space crew in over six decades, spotlighting a significant milestone for private space travel.
Among those joining Perry were Lauren Sanchez (fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos), CBS anchor Gayle King, former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, activist-scientist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
An 11-Minute Trip Beyond Earth
The rocket launched from West Texas at 9:31 a.m. ET, ascending over 100 kilometers (approximately 62 miles) — beyond the Karman line, which is widely considered the boundary of space. The crew experienced a brief period of weightlessness before safely descending back to Earth, with the entire trip lasting just around 11 minutes.
The six women traveled aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard, a spacecraft designed to carry up to six individuals on short journeys past Earth’s atmosphere. With this flight, Blue Origin has now sent 58 people into space since it began offering civilian missions in 2021.
Space Travel: Not Just a Dream — But Not Cheap Either
Although the mission may sound like a dream come true, it’s one that comes with a hefty price tag for most. Blue Origin doesn’t publicly disclose ticket prices, but those hoping to secure a spot must place a refundable deposit of $150,000 through a registration form on the company’s website.
The cost of a seat can vary widely. On Blue Origin’s first crewed mission in 2021, a single seat was auctioned for a staggering $28 million. Competitors like Virgin Galactic have reportedly sold suborbital tickets ranging between $200,000 and $450,000.
Do Celebrities Have to Pay? Not Always
Interestingly, not all travelers on board these flights are paying customers. Some, especially high-profile individuals like William Shatner and Michael Strahan, have been invited as special guests, flying free of charge.
According to Roman Chiporukha, co-founder of the luxury space travel service SpaceVIP, it’s not solely about having the money — it’s about “who you are, your public image, and how well you align with the company’s vision for space exploration.”
For the April 14th flight, Blue Origin confirmed that while some participants paid for their tickets, others flew as invited guests, though the company has not disclosed who was among the paying and non-paying passengers.
The Future of Private Spaceflight
As Blue Origin and other space tourism companies continue to launch more civilians into space, the definition of who gets to be an astronaut is rapidly evolving. For celebrities and civilians alike, space travel is no longer a far-fetched dream, but for now, it’s one that remains largely exclusive to the wealthy and well-connected.
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