Blue Origin successfully launched its 11th human spaceflight mission with an all-female crew, marking a historic milestone in space tourism and gender representation in space exploration. The flight was conducted using New Shepard sub-orbital launch vehicle from West Texas, and lasted around 10 minutes.
Key Highlights of Mission
Mission: 11th human spaceflight by Blue Origin
Crew: All-women crew (6 members)
Launch Vehicle: New Shepard – Blue Origin’s fully automated sub-orbital rocket
Flight Duration: ~10 minutes
Altitude: Over 100 km, crossing the Kármán Line- the internationally recognized boundary of space.
Location: Launched and landed in West Texas desert
All-Female Crew Members:
- Lauren Sánchez – Jeff Bezos’ fiancée and media personality
- Katy Perry – Pop star
- Gayle King – Journalist and TV host
- Aisha Bowe – Former NASA rocket scientist
- Amanda Nguyen – Civil rights activist
- Kerianne Flynn – Film producer
Significance of Mission
- First all-women crewed mission in Blue Origin’s history
- First all-female spaceflight since Valentina Tereshkova’s 1963 solo mission (Vostok 6)
- Each astronaut’s legacy was represented on the mission patch with personalized symbols
- Passengers experienced brief weightlessness after reaching space
- Capsule reached speeds of Mach 3+ (3x speed of sound)
About Blue Origin & New Shepard
- Founded by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin is a private aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company.
- New Shepard is a reusable sub-orbital rocket designed for space tourism.
- The rocket features a fully automated system, requiring no pilots, and is built to carry civilians past the edge of space and back safely.