Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to launch an all-female crew into space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. The mission, scheduled for the spring of 2025, will include pop star Katy Perry, CBS News host Gayle King, and Bezos’s fiancée, Lauren Sánchez.
This mission, Blue Origin’s 11th human flight, aims to inspire future generations by showcasing the potential of women in space exploration. The crew will travel above the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, offering a unique perspective of Earth.
Leading the mission is Lauren Sánchez, who expressed her excitement about the project. “This mission is about challenging perspectives of Earth, empowering women to share their stories, and creating a lasting impact,” she stated.
Joining Perry, King, and Sánchez on the flight are aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn, completing the six-member crew.
Gayle King shared her mixed emotions about the upcoming journey, saying, “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.”
To date, the New Shepard program has flown 52 people into space, and this all-female crew represents a significant milestone since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963.
