Pop star Katy Perry is set to make history by being part of an all-women space flight on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
Joining her on this groundbreaking mission will be Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos’s fiancee Lauren Sanchez, CBS presenter Gayle King, former Nasa rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
This will mark the first all-female space flight since the Soviet Union’s Valentina Tereshkova’s solo mission back in 1963.
The launch date has not been specified yet, but Blue Origin has confirmed that it will take place this spring. Given that Katy Perry’s Lifetimes Tour is scheduled from 23rd April to 11th November, it is expected that the space trip will occur before these dates.
The NS-31 mission will be the 11th human spaceflight for the New Shepherd rocket and the 31st in its history.
The New Shepard mission typically lasts about 11 minutes, taking passengers past the Karman line, which is internationally recognized as the edge of space. The rocket is fully autonomous, meaning there are no pilots on board.
Lauren Sanchez, who played a key role in bringing this mission together, expressed her honor in leading this team of explorers on a mission that will challenge their perspectives and inspire generations to come.
This initiative was first announced by Sanchez in 2023, emphasizing the importance of paving the way for women in space exploration.
This is not the first time celebrities have ventured into space. Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, Good Morning America’s co-host Michael Strahan, and Star Trek actor William Shatner have all taken flights on Bezos’s rockets.
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson has also made a trip aboard his company’s spacecraft in 2021. However, SpaceX founder Elon Musk is yet to make a similar journey.
