CBS anchor Vladimir Duthiers was forced to walk back his comments and apologize live on air after he uttered a term that has become “offensive” to the Left.
On Monday morning, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin successfully launched an all-female “space” flight.
The flight drew attention not only for its crew of high-profile women but also for the political narratives tagged onto the short trip.
The launch took place at 9:30 a.m. ET from West Texas, sending six women aboard the New Shepard rocket into space for a brief 11-minute suborbital flight.
The passengers included singer Katy Perry, television anchor Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez—fiancée of Jeff Bezos—civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen, filmmaker Kireanne Flynn, and NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.
However, many have criticized the exaggerated significance of the flight being pushed by the media.
Perry was widely mocked on social media for kissing the ground after landing and making a gushing “profound” statement about the alleged meaning of the flight.
One CBS anchor’s gushing remarks over the flight also provoked an unexpected exchange on live television over language used to describe the mission.
In 1992, former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison became the first black woman to travel to space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Jemison was featured in CBS News’s coverage of the Blue Origin launch.
During a discussion on the significance of the flight, CBS anchor Vladimir Duthiers referred to the mission as allegedly benefiting “mankind.”
Jemison immediately scolded Duthiers on-air over his remarks.
“First of all, it benefits humankind and I’m going to keep correcting the mankind and the manmade and the manned missions,” Jemison said in response.
Duthiers offered a hasty apology.
Jemison continued by saying:
“This is exactly what this mission is about—it’s expanding the perception of who does space.”
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The mission was the eleventh crewed spaceflight for Blue Origin, and the first all-women crewed launch since the solo flight of Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963.
During liftoff, the rocket’s BE-3 PM engine ignited, burning a combination of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to generate approximately 50,000 kilograms of force.
The launch quickly accelerated past 2,000 miles per hour—over twice the speed of sound—exposing the capsule and its passengers to three times the force of gravity.
Once in space, the women were able to float in zero gravity, sharing laughs and vocal excitement while viewing Earth from above.
The capsule reached its peak before beginning a descent back to Earth, ending in a soft landing.
Bezos was on hand to greet the returning crew but stumbled into a ditch as he rushed to open the capsule.
Despite the minor mishap, the mood remained celebratory.
Katy Perry exited the capsule holding a daisy and kissed the Texas ground in celebration.
Several crewmates followed her lead.
In comments panned by social media users as “cringey,” Perry later described the experience as deeply emotional.
“It is the highest high,” she said.
“It is surrender to the unknown, trust.
“I couldn’t recommend this experience more.”
She added that the daisy symbolized resilience and strength, explaining, “Daisies are common flowers, but they grow through any condition…
“They are resilient. They are powerful. They are strong.”
Inside the capsule, Perry sang “What a Wonderful World.”
She explained afterward that it wasn’t a performance but rather a way to reflect on the moment.
“It’s not about singing my songs,” she said.
“It’s about a collective energy in there. It’s about us.
“It’s about making space for future women and taking up space and belonging.”
“And it’s about this wonderful world that we see right out there and appreciating it.
“This is all for the benefit of Earth.”
Katy Perry kissing the ground after a few minutes in space is so over the top and cringe.
I’m just imagining what Butch and Suni thought when they saw this 🤣 pic.twitter.com/cqVr0y5cRy
— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) April 16, 2025
The Blue Origin recovery team quickly reached the capsule to assist the crew after landing.
Sánchez embraced Bezos and then made her way to her family.
The crew was later debriefed and shared reflections on their milestone journey.
Blue Origin called the flight a historic moment in human “spaceflight.”
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