dpa
Washington
US pop star Katy Perry and the partner of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez, landed safely back on Earth on Monday after blasting off on a short trip to the edge of space in a Blue Origin rocket.
In a livestream of the journey, the astronauts of the all-female crew shouted with joy and celebrated, with one person on board screaming: “We’re in space!” The reusable New Shepard vehicle, operated by Bezos’ space company, took off from Texas, carrying Perry and Sánchez, together with US presenter Gayle King, scientists Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen, and entrepreneur Kerianne Flynn, to an altitude of around 100 kilometres above the Earth.
The capsule made a safe landing back to Earth after just 10 minutes and 22 seconds, Blue Origin said. The maximum speed on the journey into space was around 3,600 kilometres per hour.
“I’ve dreamt of going to space for 15 years and tomorrow that dream becomes a reality,” Perry posted on Instagram on Sunday.
She also announced that she planned to sing in zero gravity. After landing, Perry said she had sung the hit “What a Wonderful World” in space.
Bezos welcomed the space capsule back to Earth, personally opening the hatch.
Sánchez described the view of Earth from space: “It was quiet, but then also really alive. And you look at it and you’re like, we’re all in this together.” Blue Origin has been offering short trips for space tourists since 2021. The company has successfully completed 10 such missions, carrying 52 passengers to the edge of space.
Bezos himself was aboard the inaugural crewed flight, and the company has gained attention for sending celebrities, however briefly, into space. Legendary “Star Trek” actor William Shatner boarded a flight in 2021.
Blue Origin does not officially disclose the price of the trips, but estimates are in the range of several hundred thousand dollars.
