Gayle King, Katy Perry, and Lauren Sánchez to Join Blue Origin’s First All-Female Space Mission
Blue Origin is making history with its next space mission, featuring an all-female crew that includes journalist Gayle King, pop star Katy Perry, and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez.
Joining them on the mission will be former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The flight, scheduled for spring 2025, will mark the first all-female space crew in Blue Origin’s history.
Sánchez, fiancée of Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, played a key role in assembling the mission. Blue Origin stated that she is honored to lead a team of explorers on a journey that will challenge their perspectives of Earth and inspire future generations.
Gayle King on Her Space Journey: ‘Terrified and Excited’
Speaking about the opportunity, Gayle King, 70, shared her mixed emotions:
“I don’t know how to explain being terrified and excited at the same time,” she told CBS News. “It’s like how I felt about to deliver a baby.”
King admitted that space travel was never on her bucket list, but after discussions with her children and Oprah Winfrey, she decided to take the leap.
“I thought Oprah would say no, no. But she said, ‘I think if you don’t do it, when they all come back and you had the opportunity, you will be kicking yourself.’ She’s right.”
Sánchez and Crew Gear Up for Launch
Sánchez celebrated the news in an Instagram post, writing:
“Beyond excited to share the news of my @BlueOrigin space flight this spring and the fearless explorers who are coming with me! … The countdown starts now! 🚀 #takingupspace.”
The mission will be the 11th human flight for Blue Origin’s New Shepard program and the 31st in the company’s history. So far, the program has flown 52 people, including Star Trek actor William Shatner and Bezos himself.
This will also be the first all-female spaceflight crew since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo mission in 1963.
A specific launch date has yet to be announced.