Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to send a crew of six women on an 11-minute suborbital flight to the edge of space, marking what will be the first all-female trip to the Kármán line. The mission, aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, coincides with SpaceX’s growing lead in the commercial space launch industry.
The crew includes journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, pop star Katy Perry, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, entrepreneur Aisha Bowe, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. While billed as a milestone for women in space, the trip does not break new ground technically, as cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova flew to space alone in 1963.
The mission has sparked debate about whether these trips are more than just joyrides, with some critics questioning the purpose of these commercial flights. Bezos is engaged in a fierce battle with SpaceX’s Elon Musk, with Blue Origin struggling to catch up on successful launches.
As SpaceX continues to dominate the industry, Blue Origin sees this trip as an opportunity to raise awareness about potential unfair advantages and spark competition among billionaires. The stakes are high, with some worried that Musk’s SpaceX could become too powerful in the private space industry.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/apr/13/lauren-sanchezs-all-female-space-flight-is-about-to-blast-off-and-will-challenge-elon-musks-spacex