Katy Perry flying to space! Meet all-female crew making history with Blue Origin

Pop star Katy Perry and CBS anchor Gayle King are preparing to journey to space alongside Lauren Sánchez, Jeff Bezos’s fiancée, on an upcoming all-female Blue Origin spaceflight.

As reported by Bloomberg, Blue Origin revealed in a blog post on Thursday the names of the six women who will be aboard the next mission of its New Shepard rocket.

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Joining the crew are producer Kerianne Flynn, Aisha Bowe — a former NASA engineer and the CEO of STEMBoard — and Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics researcher and prominent advocate for survivors of sexual assault.

Take a look at the all-women crew:

Aisha Bowe: A former NASA rocket scientist and aerospace engineer, Aisha is also the founder and CEO of STEMBoard, a tech company that promotes STEM education, as reported by Sky News. 

Amanda Nguyen: A bioastronautics research scientist, Amanda contributed to NASA’s final shuttle mission, STS-135. She’s also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, recognized globally for her advocacy for survivors of sexual violence and her leadership in civil rights, as reported by Sky News.

Katy Perry: The world-renowned pop star and philanthropist, known for her advocacy for social causes, Perry sees this flight as a symbol of “progress for women in space and beyond”.

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Gayle King: An Emmy-winning journalist and co-host of CBS Mornings, Gayle is celebrated for her authenticity, journalistic integrity, and powerful storytelling. Her presence adds cultural depth to this momentous journey.

Lauren Sánchez: A licensed pilot, award-winning journalist, and the fiancée of Jeff Bezos, Lauren is leading this mission. In an interview with Elle, she said she selected her fellow crew members because they’ve each “proven the ability to inspire others.”

Kerianne Flynn: An American film producer with experience in independent cinema, Kerianne also had a successful career in fashion. As a longtime friend of Sánchez, she brings creative vision and a deep appreciation for storytelling to the crew.

Sánchez initially revealed her intention to fly to space with an all-female crew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket during a 2023 interview with Vogue. She described the group as extraordinary women who are “paving the way for women.”

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The New Shepard rocket, developed by Blue Origin, is built to carry paying passengers on a brief journey to the edge of space, offering a short experience of weightlessness during an approximately 11-minute flight.

Women in space

Blue Origin has been sending tourists on brief spaceflights since 2021, starting with a high-profile inaugural launch that included founder Jeff Bezos and his brother, AP reported.

The upcoming mission will mark the company’s 11th human spaceflight. While some participants paid significant amounts for the experience, others received complimentary seats. Blue Origin has not disclosed who is covering the cost of Monday’s flight.

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The mission has faced some criticism, most notably from actor Olivia Munn, who questioned the financial and media focus surrounding the launch.

However, Katy Perry sees the all-female crew — the first since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963 — as a moment of historic significance. To date, only about 14% of space travelers have been women, AP reported.

(With inputs from agencies)