The Blue Origin Has Landed: Gayle Kings Steps Off And Kisses The Earth

Launch complete. Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin Space Flight NS-31 has successfully crossed the Kármán line, the recognized line of outerspace, and returned to earth carrying Gayle King, Katy Perry, and the rest of the all-woman group of celebrities-turned-astronauts. Jeff Bezos was on-site to open the door to the rocket that launched them into orbit for four-seven picturesque minutes. Katy Perry and Gayle King stepped off the reusable rocket and immediately kissed the earth.

Oprah and other friends and family of the women gathered at the launch site at  Van Horn, Texas to see them off with cheers and handshakes. The 11-minute flight was comprised of aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe; activist Amanda Nguyen; CBS Mornings host Gayle King; pop singer Katy Perry; film producer Kerianne Flynn; and Lauren Sánchez, an author, TV host turned philanthropist, and Bezos’s fiancée.

“I’ve never been more proud,” Oprah said. “This is bigger than just going to space for [Gayle]. Any time we’re on a flight she’s in someone’s lap if there’s the slightest bit of turbulence,’ Oprah shared. “She has real, real, real anxiety flying. This is overcome a wall of fear, a barrier, I think it’s gonna be cathartic for her.”

The once-in-a-lifetime experience was well-documented, with millions tuning into various live streams. The crew looked stylish as they went to space, wearing form-fitting blue jumpsuits that Gayle said she lost weight to fit into. Katy Perry led the crew in prayer before takeoff.

The Women Of Blue Origin

The iconic crew appeared on the cover of Elle Magazine to talk about the then-upcoming trip. “I called Katy,” King says of preparing for the flight. “We had been on the phone for 36 minutes, and I’d asked her 50 million questions, until finally she said, ‘Could I just interrupt for a second? Are you aware that our flight is going to be shorter than this freaking phone call?’”

However short, it was a historic moment for all involved. “”This was not a ride,” she said. “This was a bonafide freakin’ flight,” Gayle King said after landing. Well done, ladies.

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