From Katy Perry To Gayle King, Blue Origin's All-Women Crew Heading To Space
Blue Origin's 11th human flight, NS-31, with an all-female crew, will embark on its journey to space on April 14. The Jeff Bezos-owned company's New Shepard rocket will lift off from Launch Site One in West Texas.
The historic mission's crew consists of prominent and well-known women - popstar Katy Perry, television presenter Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist and civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn and journalist and helicopter pilot Lauren Sanchez.
The NS-31 mission will last around 11 minutes, reaching a height of approximately 65 miles above Earth. Although they won't technically enter orbit, they will surpass the Karman line (62 miles), the internationally recognised boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space.
It will also be the first spacecraft with only women aboard since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo flight in 1963.
Before the launch, the crew will gather at the launch site in Van Horn, Texas, for final training sessions.
Here is a look at the NS-31 crew heading to space on April 14:
Katy Perry: A global pop star and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Ms Perry will join Blue Origin's all-female crew to inspire her daughter and others to reach for the stars.
Aisha Bowe: Aisha Bowe is a former NASA rocket scientist-turned-entrepreneur and global STEM advocate. She is the CEO of an engineering firm 'STEMBoard' and the founder of an edtech startup 'LINGO'. She hopes her journey from community college to space encourages young people worldwide, especially those from her Bahamian heritage to follow their ambitions.
Gayle King: Gayle King is an award-winning journalist, co-host of CBS Mornings and editor-at-large of Oprah Daily. She also hosts Gayle King in the House on SiriusXM radio. With a career spanning decades, Ms Gayle is recognised as a gifted and compassionate interviewer.
Amanda Nguyen: Amanda Nguyen is a renowned bioastronautics research scientist and advocate for sexual violence survivors. A Harvard graduate, Ms Nguyen conducted research at NASA, MIT and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. She also worked on the last NASA shuttle mission, STS-135, and the Kepler exoplanet mission.
Kerianne Flynn: With a career in fashion and human resources, Ms Flynn is a community builder and film producer. She is also focused on storytelling and nonprofit work. Producing films like This Changes Everything and LILLY, Ms Flynn has inspired the next generation to create a positive impact.
Lauren Sanchez: Lauren Sanchez is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, pilot and Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund. She founded Black Ops Aviation in 2016 and authored the New York Times bestselling debut children's book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, in 2024.
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