Blue Origin's all-female crew, including musician Katy Perry, TV presenter Gayle King, journalist Lauren Sánchez, film producer Kerianne Flynn, civil rights activist Amanda Ngyuyen, and former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, is poised to take off on a historic space trip on April 14. This would be the first time after Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963 that no men have been aboard a human-crewed spaceflight leaving Earth, Blue Origin said in a press release. Founder Jeff Bezos said that they will take off on their 11th manned New Shepard mission.
Who Is Part Of This Mission?
Lauren Sánchez
According to Blue Origin, Lauren Sánchez, a former journalist, author, licensed helicopter pilot, and Jeff Bezos's fiancé, picked the crew and has been instrumental in arranging the 10-minute flight. She is the Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund and a mom of three. She is also the founder of Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned and operated aerial film and production company.
Ahead of the launch, Sanchez shared an Instagram post captioned “Hard to believe that tomorrow this incredible work of innovation will be taking us above the Kármán line. Took a moment together as a crew to visit our rocket and express our gratitude. Thank you to the entire @blueorigin team for making this happen.”
Katy Perry
Katy Perry, a musician, philanthropist, and United Nations goodwill ambassador for children, took to her social media to share her excitement about the spaceflight. She wrote, "If you had told me that I would be part of the first-ever all-female crew in space, I would have believed you."
The musician wrote a nostalgic message on her Instagram. "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! I work hard to live my life that way still, and I am motivated more than ever to be an example for my daughter that women should take up space (pun intended)," she shared.
Gayle King
Gayle King is a journalist and the co-host of CBS Mornings, editor-at-large of Oprah Daily, and the host of Gayle King in the House on SiriusXM radio. Blue Origins said in their statement, "In a career spanning decades, King has been recognized as a gifted, compassionate interviewer able to break through the noise and create meaningful conversations." Reacting to her upcoming spaceflight, she said on CBS Mornings, “I’m so afraid, but I’m also so excited."
Aisha Bowe
Aisha is a former NASA rocket scientist, entrepreneur, and businesswoman. She is the CEO of STEMBoard, an engineering firm recognized twice on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. She also founded an ed-tech company called LINGO to equip students with essential tech skills. "Of Bahamian heritage, Aisha hopes her journey from community college to space will inspire young people in the Bahamas and around the world to pursue their dreams," Blue Origin wrote.
Amanda Nguyen
Amanda Nguyen will be the first Vietnamese woman to fly into space, she said on Instagram. She graduated from Harvard and conducted research at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics, MIT, NASA, and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. Nguyen has worked on the last NASA shuttle mission, STS-135, and the Kepler exoplanet mission. She is also a civil rights advocate, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and an author.
Kerianne Flynn
Kerianna Flynn is known for her distinguished career in film production, fashion, and human resources. "Kerianne has always been drawn to exploration, adventure, and space, and hopes her Blue Origin space flight serves as an inspiration for her son, Dex, and the next generation of dreamers to reach for the stars," the aerospace company said in their statement.
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