Gayle King, Katy Perry to Make Space History On First All-Female Mission Since 1963
This spring, a historic crew of six women will take off aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. Not since 1963 has an all-female group traveled into space. The mission features…
(Left) Katy Perry attends iHeartRadio Q102’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented By Capital One at the Wells Fargo Center on December 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images) AND (Right) Gayle King attends the 2025 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at The Sugar Mill on February 08, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Fanatics)
This spring, a historic crew of six women will take off aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. Not since 1963 has an all-female group traveled into space. The mission features an unexpected mix including pop star Katy Perry, TV host Gayle King, and Lauren Sánchez joining the team.
From Launch Site One in Van Horn, Texas, New Shepard will make its 11th crewed flight and 31st launch overall. The specific launch date is still under wraps.
Three more pioneers complete the crew: Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn. Jeff Bezos's fiancée Sánchez selected each member for this historic mission.
It's been six decades since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova flew alone in space. Since then, New Shepard has taken 52 people beyond the Kármán line - the boundary where Earth's atmosphere meets space.
Looking to join? You'll need at least $200,000 for the experience. The journey takes just 10 minutes in total. Passengers may experience weightlessness briefly before floating back down under large parachutes.
The powerful BE-3PM engine pushes the vessel beyond 100 kilometers up. The passenger capsule holds six seats, plus essential safety features including emergency escape systems.
The New Shepherd is designed mainly for space tourism and has flown 52 people above the Kármán line. Now, we await the travel of this group of women.
