Aisha Bowe made history as the aerospace engineer on Blue Origin’s first all-female flight to the edge of space — the first such mission since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo journey aboard Vostok 6 in 1963.
Who Is Aisha Bowe?
Aisha is a Bahamian-American aerospace engineer, STEM advocate and entrepreneur. She is also the founder and CEO of STEMBoard, a technology company, and LINGO, an educational tech company featuring tutorials and online resources featuring NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace.
“Aisha Bowe has been reaching for the stars ever since she ignored a guidance counselor’s advice to go into cosmetology—and now, she’s helping young people get an earlier start on STEM education than she did,” reads her official biography on LINGO’s website. “A serial entrepreneur, motivational speaker and former NASA rocket scientist, Aisha has launched seven-figure companies, landed some of the most well-known names in tech as clients and is set to make her own journey to the stars as a passenger on a commercial space mission.”
Who Else Was a Blue Origin Passenger?
On April 14, 2025, Aisha was one of six women aboard Blue Origin’s NS-31 flight, which launched from the company’s West Texas site and completed its round trip in approximately eight minutes. The star-studded crew included pop star Katy Perry, CBS News personality Gayle King, Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, film producer Kerianne Flynn and bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen.
Rocket Scientist Aisha Bowe Claps Back at Blue Origin Criticism
Blue Origin’s flight to space had its controversy, and the event drew widespread criticism.
Before the flight took off, actress Olivia Munn made headlines when she questioned the need for the trip during an appearance on Today With Jenna and Friends.
“I know this probably isn’t the cool thing to say, but there are so many other things that are so important in the world right now,” the actress told viewers on April 3, 2025. “What are you guys gonna do up in space? What are you doing up there?”
She noted that space travel was an expensive endeavor and that the average American “can’t even afford eggs.”
“What’s the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s a bit gluttonous,” she continued. “Space exploration was to further our knowledge and to help mankind. What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”
Aisha responded to the backlash during a press conference on April 15, 2025, telling the media she wished “those who are criticizing the mission could read the messages in my inbox.”
“When I decided that I was going to pursue aerospace engineering, it was after my high school guidance counselor told me that I should pursue cosmetology because she did not think that I would be suited for this field,” the rocket scientist said. “I went from pre-algebra in community college to two degrees in aerospace engineering to working for NASA to being able to sit on the stage and say it is bigger than the criticism.”
Lauren also responded to the backlash, telling People she got “really fired up.”
“I would love to have them come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees that don’t just work here but they put their heart and soul into this vehicle,” the journalist said after the flight. “They love their work and they love the mission and it’s a big deal for them.”
