Pop superstar Katy Perry is set to blast off into space this spring as part of a historic all-female crew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
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The singer – whose hits aptly include Firework and E.T. – will be joined by former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez – a journalist and partner of Blue Origin’s founder Jeff Bezos – who is leading the mission.
“Katy is honored to be a part of Blue Origin’s first all-female crew and hopes her journey encourages her daughter and others to reach for the stars, literally and figuratively,” Blue Origin said in a statement.
The mission will be the first all-female space crew since cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight, which made her the first woman in space, in 1963.
According to Blue Origin, Sánchez hopes the mission will “inspire the next generation of explorers.”
“She is honored to lead a team of explorers on a mission that will challenge their perspectives of Earth, empower them to share their own stories, and create lasting impact that will inspire generations to come.”
The six-woman team will make up the NS-31 mission – New Shepard’s 31st flight and its 11th with humans onboard. The rocket – named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space – has been launching wealthy tourists and celebrities into space since 2021.
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To date, the program has flown 52 people above the Kármán line – the internationally recognized boundary of space 100 kilometers (62 miles) above sea level. Typically, these flights last just 10 or 11 minutes, allowing passengers to experience a few minutes of microgravity.
Previous missions have included Bezos himself – who flew on the company’s inaugural manned mission in 2021 – Star Trek actor William Shatner, and NASA’s first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight.
At the moment, there is no specific date for this latest launch, but Blue Origin has said it will take place in the spring.
Source Link: Katy Perry Is Going To Space In First All-Female Private Space Trip
