First Kazakh Woman in Space Returns Safely Aboard Blue Origin Flight

On October 8, 2025, Danna Karagussova made history as the first woman from Kazakhstan - and the broader Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - to travel into space.

She completed a successful suborbital mission aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

The flight marked the company’s 15th crewed mission and the 16th successful launch and landing of its NS4 rocket, operated by billionaire Jeff Bezos’ space firm.

Karagussova’s return was announced by her son, Aituar Alibekov, on the social media platform Threads: “She’s back. The first space tourist from Kazakhstan and the CIS. Love you and so proud of you, Mom.”

According to SciNews, the New Shepard launched from Blue Origin’s West Texas facility and returned to Earth approximately 10 to 12 minutes later, landing at 13:30 UTC (08:30 Texas time).

Karagussova was joined by five other passengers: entrepreneur Jeff Elgin, engineer Clint Kelly III, startup founder Aaron Newman, Ukrainian businessman Vitalii Ostrovsky, and one individual who remained anonymous. The spacecraft reached an altitude of around 100 kilometers, crossing the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, where passengers experienced several minutes of weightlessness and panoramic views of Earth.

Ticket prices for Blue Origin’s commercial flights have not been publicly disclosed.

Before the launch, Karagussova shared a photo from aboard the spacecraft, generating significant attention on social media. Kazakh blogger and entrepreneur Beibit Alibekov, her former husband, praised her accomplishment, emphasizing its historic significance.