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All-Female Crew Including Gayle King and Katy Perry Soars to Space Aboard Blue Origin
In a landmark mission for space tourism, broadcast journalist Gayle King and pop icon Katy Perry embarked on a suborbital spaceflight on Monday aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft. This flight marked a significant milestone as the first all-female crew to journey to space in over six decades, since 1963.
Successful Launch from West Texas
The New Shepard rocket, operated by Jeff Bezos’ space venture Blue Origin, successfully launched from the company’s Launch Site One in West Texas. The launch occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time, from the facility situated roughly 120 miles southeast of El Paso.
Blue Origin’s 11th Human Spaceflight
This mission represented the 11th human spaceflight for Blue Origin’s New Shepard program. Prior to this flight, the program had successfully transported 52 individuals, including some repeat flyers, beyond the Kármán line. This boundary, internationally recognized as the edge of space, is located about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface.
Autonomous Space Tourism Experience
Flights aboard the New Shepard rocket are designed to provide passengers with several minutes of weightlessness. Notably, these space tourism flights are unpiloted, operating autonomously.
Media Frenzy Surrounds “Gayle Goes to Space”
CBS Mornings dedicated a significant portion of its Monday broadcast to the event, titled “Gayle Goes to Space.” The program interspersed its regular morning news updates with footage from Texas and interviews with previous space travelers, including those who had flown on prior Blue Origin missions.
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Star-Studded Send-Off
Family members and friends of the spaceflight participants gathered in Texas to witness the launch. Among the attendees was Oprah Winfrey, a close confidante of Ms. King.
Lauren Sánchez, Mr. Bezos’ fiancée and a former broadcast journalist, was also aboard the NS-31 mission. The couple is reportedly planning to marry in Venice this summer.
Diverse Crew Composition
The flight also included Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist who identifies as the first person of Bahamian descent to reach space, as reported in Elle magazine. Film producer Kerianne Flynn and Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist and prominent advocate for survivors of sexual assault, completed the passenger manifest.
Historical Significance and Activism in Space
Blue Origin noted that Ms. Nguyen is believed to be the first Vietnamese woman to travel to space.
“It’s a dream fulfilled, and for me it was a postponed dream,” Ms. Nguyen shared with Elle.
She explained that despite having worked at NASA and studied astrophysics, she shifted her focus to activism after surviving a sexual assault.
“Gender-based violence is a significant factor in why many women in STEM fields discontinue their training, and I was among them,” she stated, referring to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
This flight marked the first all-female space mission since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963 for the Soviet Union’s Vostok 6 program, which made her the first woman in space.
Feminist Discourse and Space Tourism Criticism
However, some critics have questioned the notion that the all-female composition of the crew inherently represents feminist advancement. The New Shepard program, the cornerstone of Blue Origin’s space tourism endeavors, primarily offers an avenue for wealthy, influential, and connected individuals to experience space.
Public Figures Weigh In on Spaceflight
Actress Olivia Munn characterized the space trip as “somewhat excessive” during a guest appearance on “Today with Jenna & Friends” earlier this month.
“I understand this might not be a popular opinion, but there are numerous pressing issues in the world currently,” Ms. Munn commented. “What purpose do these space trips serve?”
Media Scrutiny of Bezos’ Ventures
In a “CBS Mornings” interview broadcast on Friday, host Vladimir Duthiers questioned Ms. King about concerns that the flight served as an advertisement for Mr. Bezos, the founder of Amazon. Mr. Duthiers highlighted the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Mr. Bezos’ business practices at Amazon and his ownership of The Washington Post.
Amazon’s Labor Practices and Antitrust Issues
Amazon’s warehouse employees and delivery personnel have frequently voiced concerns about unsafe working conditions. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and 17 states initiated legal action against Amazon, accusing the company of unlawfully monopolizing online retail.
Washington Post Leadership and Editorial Direction
The Washington Post has experienced a series of resignations in recent months amid internal disagreements regarding leadership decisions, notably Mr. Bezos’ intention to refocus the newspaper’s opinion section to advocate for “personal liberties and free markets.”
Gayle King’s Perspective
“I acknowledge that it is also concerning to me,” Ms. King responded. “There have been certain decisions and questions surrounding his actions that have caused me to pause and question as well.”
“However, I believe that in this particular instance, Vlad, the event transcends a single individual or corporation,” she continued. “I have chosen to view them separately.”
Bezos’ Vision for Space Colonization and Blue Origin’s Legacy
Mr. Bezos has invested billions of dollars in Blue Origin, articulating a vision for a future where humanity establishes space colonies. He himself participated in Blue Origin’s inaugural suborbital passenger flight in 2021.
The New Shepard rocket is named in honor of Alan Shepard, the first American to venture into space in 1961 and a member of the Apollo astronauts who walked on the moon.