Katy Perry Joins Historic All-Women Blue Origin Spaceflight

Pop icon Katy Perry is set to embark on a groundbreaking journey into space today as part of Blue Origin’s first all-female crewed mission in more than six decades.

The NS-31 flight, launching from the company’s West Texas site, represents a milestone in space tourism and gender representation in the industry.

Perry will be joined by five accomplished women: Lauren Sánchez, journalist and fiancée of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos; CBS anchor Gayle King; former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe; civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen; and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

The mission marks the first all-women spaceflight since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo voyage aboard Vostok 6 in 1963.

The New Shepard rocket is scheduled to lift off at 8:30 a.m. local time (14:30 BST), taking the crew more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) above Earth, crossing the Kármán line—the internationally recognized boundary of space.

The flight will last approximately 11 minutes, offering the passengers a brief experience of weightlessness before returning to Earth via a parachute-assisted capsule landing.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket operates autonomously, eliminating the need for pilots. The capsule and booster are designed for reusability, with the booster landing vertically about two miles from the launch site after each flight.

Passengers undergo two days of intensive training to prepare for the experience, focusing on physical fitness, emergency protocols, and zero-gravity procedures.

Ahead of the launch, Perry shared her excitement on social media, reflecting on her childhood dreams and her desire to inspire future generations. “If you had told me I’d be part of the first-ever all-female crew in space, I would have believed you,” she wrote. “Nothing was beyond my imagination as a child. Although we didn’t grow up with much, I never stopped looking at the world with hopeful WONDER!”

Founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin has been at the forefront of private space exploration. The company has conducted 11 human flights with its New Shepard program and is developing long-term space infrastructure such as reusable rockets and lunar landing systems.

Supporters counter that private companies like Blue Origin accelerate innovation and expand humanity’s presence beyond Earth. Professor Brian Cox has highlighted the importance of collaboration between NASA and commercial firms, stating that space exploration is vital for addressing global challenges.

As Perry and her crewmates prepare for liftoff, their journey marks not only a technological milestone but also an inspiring moment in advancing gender equity in space exploration—one that may pave the way for future generations to reach beyond our planet.