Passengers on the latest Blue Origin flight may not have reached any stars, but they were accompanied by earthly stars such as pop singer Katy Perry and TV journalist Gayle King. These celebrities now join a list of individuals who have completed the journey to space and back. Perry and King, along with others, participated in an all-female mission that lasted 11 minutes and crossed the Kármán line, the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, at 62 miles above sea level. The successful launch marked the eleventh Blue Origin sub-orbital human spaceflight mission since 2021 and included notable figures like former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, and Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos’ journalist fiancée, Lauren Sanchez.
After landing, the group, including Perry and King, kneeled and kissed the West Texas ground. Sanchez, in particular, expressed her joy at returning, joking about the upcoming wedding with Bezos. Other celebrities who have experienced weightlessness on Blue Origin flights include the billionaire founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, who flew on the maiden flight of the New Shepard rocket in 2021 alongside his half brother and two other space tourists. Pioneering female aviator Wally Funk, who was part of the Mercury 13 project in the 1960s, finally realized her dream of space travel at the age of 82 on a Blue Origin flight in 2021. William Shatner, known for his role as Capt. James T. Kirk in “Star Trek,” flew into space at the age of 90 in 2021, becoming the oldest man to do so. NFL Hall of Famer and “Good Morning America” co-anchor Michael Strahan also embarked on a space journey aboard New Shepard in 2021.
Ed Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate in the United States, finally achieved his long-awaited journey to space on May 19, 2024. Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-25 spacecraft carried him on this historic flight, marking the company’s first human mission since 2022. At 90 years old, Dwight’s space voyage came more than six decades after President John F. Kennedy appointed him to the prestigious Aerospace Research Pilot School in 1961. Despite being endorsed by the Air Force, Dwight was not selected for NASA’s astronaut program following Kennedy’s tragic assassination. His experience in space was described as “almost like an out-of-body experience,” as he carried personal mementos such as his Super Bowl and Hall of Fame rings, retired Giants jersey, grandfather’s pocket watch, and shell casings from his father’s military funeral. Upon landing near Blue Origin’s base in Van Horn, Texas, Dwight expressed his gratitude, stating, “Long time coming.” The flight also added to Blue Origin’s roster of notable passengers, solidifying its status as a key player in the commercial space industry.
