Pop singer Katy Perry is set to head to space as part of Blue Origin’s first all-female flight crew.
Blue Origin has not announced a specific launch date for the NS-31 mission, but it is expected to occur this spring. This mission will mark the first spaceflight with an all-woman crew since Valentina Tereshkova's solo journey in 1963.
She’ll be joined by former correspondent Lauren Sanchez (who happens to be Bezos’ fiancée) and TV host Gayle King. The six-person crew - all women - is rounded out by civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.
According to Blue Origin, which has leaned on high-profile “astronauts” in order to drive awareness for Bezos’ tourism rockets, this will be the first all-female flight crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s spaceflight in 1963.
Tereshkova, now 87, was a Soviet cosmonaut who became the first woman in space during her solo Vostok 6 mission on 16 June 1963.
According to the press release, Sánchez “brought the mission together.”
“She is honored to lead a team of explorers on a mission that will challenge their perspectives of Earth, empower them to share their own stories, and create lasting impact that will inspire generations to come.”
King announced her participation on CBS Mornings: “I don’t know how to explain being terrified and excited at the same time. It’s like how I felt about to deliver a baby.”
The mission will be the 11th human flight for Blue Origin’s New Shepard program and the 31st in its history. Previous celebrity passengers have included William Shatner, Michael Strahan and Bezos himself.
Let’s just hope that Perry can refrain from singing “You just gotta ignite the light / And let it shine / Just own the night / Like the Fourth of July” during lift-off.
