Katy Perry & all-female crew return from historic space voyage

KATHMANDU: Global pop icon Katy Perry, along with four other remarkable women, has returned to Earth after a groundbreaking space journey as part of a tourist mission aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, developed by billionaire Jeff Bezos’s space company.

The all-women crew included Perry, Jeff Bezos’s fiancée Lauren Sánchez, television host Gayle King, former NASA employee Ayesha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and filmmaker Kirianna Flynn.

Though the exact ticket price has not been publicly disclosed, international media outlets have reported it to be approximately $150,000 — nearly 20 million Nepali rupees — for the 11-minute suborbital flight.

During the mission, the passengers crossed the Kármán line, 100 kilometers above Earth, widely recognized as the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.

The crew briefly experienced weightlessness, floating freely inside the capsule. They also witnessed the breathtaking curvature of Earth against the backdrop of deep space. Katy Perry, carrying a daisy flower, sang “What a Wonderful World” during the journey.

Interestingly, the daisy also holds a special meaning — it is the name of her daughter, as revealed by the BBC.

Scientist Ayesha Bowe managed to conduct three microgravity experiments during the trip, focusing on plant biology and human physiology.

The rocket launched from the West Texas desert at 9 AM and returned safely at 10:05 AM. This marked Blue Origin’s 11th space tourism flight.

Upon landing, Perry was seen emotionally kissing the ground and releasing the daisy she had taken onboard. This symbolic act resonated with many, reflecting the deeply personal nature of her space adventure.

According to the BBC, this was the first all-female spaceflight in 60 years. The last was in 1963 when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made history as the first woman to travel to space solo aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft.

The rise of space tourism continues to accelerate. According to the Indian Express, the global space tourism market was valued at $84.83 billion in 2023 and is projected to surge to $2,786.19 billion by 2032.

From 2001 to 2022, approximately 63 individuals have traveled as space tourists. Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic are at the forefront of offering such adventurous journeys into the cosmos.