Singer Katy Perry plants a kiss on planet Earth after returning from space safely

Katy Perry kisses earth

After a successful mission to the edge of space, an all-female celebrity crew, which included pop icon Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez, returned safely to Earth on Monday, marking a historic milestone for gender representation and space tourism. Since Valentina Tereshkova's solo flight in 1963, this flight, which was powered by Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, was the first to have an entirely female space crew.

The fully automated sub-orbital flight, which took off from West Texas, gave passengers a fleeting but thrilling taste of weightlessness as it passed the Kármán line, the globally acknowledged boundary of space, at a height of 100 kilometres above Earth. The crew capsule separated in midair during the eleven-minute flight, then descended safely in the desert using parachutes and vintage rockets.

Upon safely landing, both Katy Perry and Gayle King were seen affectionately kissing the ground in gratitude. Meanwhile, a cheerful Lauren Sánchez light-heartedly remarked that she had to make it back in time for her wedding to Jeff Bezos this summer, according to reports.

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Onboard were singer Katy Perry, media personality Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, activist Amanda Nguyen, and Lauren Sánchez. Upon landing, both Perry and King kissed the ground in relief and gratitude. Lauren Sánchez jokingly remarked that she needed to return to Earth in time for her wedding to Jeff Bezos this summer.

During the flight, Perry reportedly serenaded her fellow passengers with "What a Wonderful World." Reflecting on the experience, she said, “You never know how much love you have to give – or how loved you truly are – until the day you launch.” Perry also shared with Elle magazine that she took part to inspire her daughter, Daisy, to dream without limits.

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The sight of Earth from space moved King, who described it as "oddly quiet" and a potent reminder to take better care of the planet. King's close friend Oprah Winfrey attended the historic launch in Texas.

As part of its larger plan to compete with Virgin Galactic and SpaceX, this was Blue Origin's eleventh crewed mission. The company's larger New Glenn rocket made its first unmanned orbital flight in January. Even though the company recently laid off 10% of its employees, CEO Dave Limp is still dedicated to the company's long-term objectives, which include growing its space tourism business and preparing for a moon landing in 2025.