Oprah moved to tears as she watches Gayle King launch into space with Blue Origin

The New Shepard rocket, which is built to carry people and can be used multiple times, took six women on an eleven-minute flight. It flew higher than 62 miles, crossing the Kármán line (the official edge of space). The crew floated in weightlessness for a few minutes before landing safely with the help of parachutes. This was the 31st launch for New Shepard and the 11th time it had carried humans.

The crew was made up of an impressive group of women: Gayle King, a well-known CBS Mornings host; Katy Perry, the famous singer; Lauren Sánchez, a journalist engaged to Jeff Bezos; Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist who founded STEMBoard; Amanda Nguyen, a scientist studying space biology and an activist; and Kerianne Flynn, a movie producer.

Oprah proud of Gayle King’s space flight

Oprah’s emotional reaction was followed by some statements about her friend’s bravery. According to E, Oprah said, “I’ve never been more proud of my friend. This is bigger than just going to space. For her, anytime we’re on a flight she’s in somebody’s lap if there’s the slightest bit of turbulence… This is overcoming a wall of fear, a barrier. I think it’s going to be cathartic in so many ways.”

Before the launch, Oprah said she believed this experience would stay with King forever, calling her an important part of her life. After landing, King described the trip as peaceful and like “floating,” saying she felt proud and ready to face any challenges ahead.

The flight was arranged by Blue Origin, a private space company that was started in 2000 by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. The company’s goal is to make space travel more common and sustainable. While the exact price of a seat isn’t public, it costs a lot of money to reserve one. Bezos himself has flown on a New Shepard mission, showing his commitment to commercial space travel.

Not everyone was happy about the mission, though. While many celebrated the achievement, some criticized the cost, pointing out how much money was spent on space tourism while many people struggled with poverty and hunger. Gayle King itted these concerns were valid, acknowledging criticism of Bezos’ business dealings but saying the mission itself was bigger than any one person or company.

“Listen, it is troubling to me, too,” King told CBS Mornings, “There have been some questions and decisions that he’s made that I’ve actually gone, ‘Huh?’ But I think in this particular case, this is so much bigger than one man and one company. I’ve chosen to separate the two. It’s not a zero-sum game. You can do this on one hand and this on the other hand, and both things can be true.”