Blue Origin is gearing up for a historic spaceflight this spring, featuring an all-woman crew that includes celebrities such as Katy Perry, Gayle King, and Lauren Sánchez. This marks the first all-female crew in space since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo mission in 1963.
The New Shepard spacecraft will launch from West Texas, allowing its six crew members to experience several minutes of weightlessness and breathtaking views of Earth. Notably, the flight is fully autonomous, meaning all members will serve as crew—not pilots.
Sánchez, who helped assemble the crew, expressed her excitement, stating, “I’m honored to be with such an incredible group of explorers. I look forward to inspiring future generations to dream big.”
Joining her in this groundbreaking mission are:
- Aisha Bowe: A former NASA rocket scientist and entrepreneur, Bowe aims to prove that no dream is too big.
- Amanda Nguyen: A bioastronautics researcher, she hopes her flight inspires Vietnamese girls to see themselves in space.
- Gayle King: The CBS co-host is enthusiastic about embarking on this new adventure at this stage in her life.
- Katy Perry: The award-winning artist is thrilled to be part of such a significant milestone, recalling her childhood dreams of space.
- Kerianne Flynn: A producer and nonprofit advocate, she aims to motivate future generations about sustainability and innovation.
The last notable all-woman flight was in 1963 with Tereshkova, who remains a significant figure in space history. As Blue Origin continues to assert its presence in the commercial space race against competitors like SpaceX, this all-woman crew’s journey is sure to inspire many.