Katy Perry to Bezos's fiancée—This space mission includes all-female crew
What's the story
In a historic first, Blue Origin has announced its next NS-31 mission, which will be manned by an all-female crew. The team, which includes pop star Katy Perry, is headed by Lauren Sánchez, the fiancée of the Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. Among the other notable members of the crew are Gayle King, Amanda Nguyen, Kerianne Flynn, and Aisha Bowe. The groundbreaking mission is slated for spring 2025.
Mission objective
A tribute to gender equality in space travel
The NS-31 mission seeks to pay tribute to gender equality in spaceflight and inspire future generations of female astronauts. This initiative represents a major leap toward gender parity in space travel, an area that has long been male-dominated. The mission will be conducted aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft, which can offer suborbital flight experiences of about 11 minutes.
Artist's aspirations
Katy Perry's hopes for the mission
Globally recognized pop artist Katy Perry, who has over 115 billion streams sold worldwide, also expressed her excitement about the mission. "I hope my journey inspires my daughter and others to reach for the stars, literally and figuratively," Perry said in a statement provided by Blue Origin. Perry's participation in this mission highlights her dedication to breaking gender stereotypes and inspiring future generations of women.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Blue Origin's post
🚀 Meet the New Shepard NS-31 crew launching this spring: Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez, who brought the mission together. Read more:
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) February 27, 2025https://t.co/w4ryNViYPIpic.twitter.com/qm45kHVc2e
Information
Crew leadership: Sánchez to lead diverse, all-female crew
Former news correspondent Sánchez, who will lead the NS-31 mission, has been key in putting together this diverse crew. Apart from Perry, the team includes CBS anchor Gayle King, civil rights leader Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and ex-NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.
Flight details
NS-31 mission: A unique space travel experience
The New Shepard rocket promises a one-of-a-kind space travel experience, giving passengers a taste of weightlessness for some four minutes and stunning views of Earth from beyond the Karman line. The NS-31 mission will be the 11th crewed flight on this rocket, following previous missions that featured celebrities such as William Shatner and Michael Strahan.