A groundbreaking moment is on the horizon as Blue Origin’s New Shepard prepares for its 31st mission with an all-female crew, featuring pop star Katy Perry.
The scheduled launch is set for Monday, April 14, from Launch Site One in West Texas at 10 a.m. EDT.
This mission marks the first time an all-women crew has launched into space since 1963 when Valentina Tereshkova orbited solo for the Soviet Union.
Joining Perry on this historic journey are Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist, Kerianne Flynn, a documentary producer, Amanda Nguyễn, a bioastronautics research scientist, and Lauren Sánchez, an author and journalist engaged to Blue Origin’s founder, Jeff Bezos.
Sánchez, the driving force behind this mission, explained to Elle that the chosen women are each inspirational figures in their own right, describing them as “storytellers.”
“They’re going to go up to space and be able to spread what they felt in different ways,” Sánchez commented.
Aisha Bowe highlighted the importance of representation, noting that many middle school girls opt out of pursuing STEM fields because they perceive them as male-dominated. “This representation really matters,” she stated, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in future careers.
When Perry first learned about Blue Origin’s plans for commercial space travel, she was eager to participate, though she was surprised to receive an invitation.
Reflecting on the all-female crew, Perry remarked, “I take pause in those moments and ask the universe to give me confirmations. And I really felt very sure when they sent me the picture of the space pod.” The image included a feather, which resonated with Perry as it is her mother’s nickname for her.
Perry hopes this mission will not only glamorize space travel but also inspire a new generation, including her daughter Daisy, to dream without limits regardless of their background.
Amanda Nguyễn added, “I think it’s so important for people to see us like that. This dichotomy of engineer and scientist, and then beauty and fashion. We contain multitudes. Women are multitudes. I’m going to be wearing lipstick.”
But what do the women plan to do during their time in space?
The entire journey is expected to last only 11 minutes, with four minutes spent in actual space before returning to Earth.
During the ascent, the crew plans to sing, with Perry hinting at performing “I Surrender All.”
Flynn joked that Perry could be the “first [music artist] in space to sing,” to which Perry replied, “I feel like I should.”
Perhaps “E.T.” would be a fitting choice for the occasion.