Pop icon Katy Perry and Lauren Sanchez are set to join an all-female six-member crew for the 11th human flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard program. The space venture, owned by Jeff Bezos, announced the news on Thursday. This mission marks a significant milestone in space tourism, highlighting the increasing involvement of celebrities in commercial space travel.
Star-Studded Spaceflight
The upcoming mission will feature some well-known personalities. Alongside Perry, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez, who is engaged to Jeff Bezos, will be part of the crew. The flight will also include former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, movie producer Kerianne Flynn, and bioastronautics researcher Amanda Nguyen. This diverse group of accomplished women brings together expertise from various fields, making this mission a remarkable moment in space exploration.
About the Mission
Blue Origin confirmed that the New Shepard’s 11th crewed flight, named NS-31, is scheduled for this spring. However, the company has yet to announce an exact launch date. The mission will take place from Blue Origin’s private launch site in West Texas, continuing the company’s goal of expanding space tourism and suborbital travel.
The suborbital journey will last approximately 10-11 minutes, from liftoff to landing. The spacecraft will cross the Kármán line, located 100 kilometers above sea level, which is widely considered the boundary of space. During this brief but intense experience, passengers will feel weightlessness and see the curvature of the Earth before beginning their descent. The booster will return to Earth with an upright vertical landing, while the capsule will safely deploy parachutes for a gentle touchdown in the Texas desert.
Blue Origin’s Past Missions
On Tuesday, Blue Origin successfully completed its 10th human spaceflight. The mission included Indian-origin passenger Tushar Shah. The New Shepard vehicle operates autonomously, with no pilot onboard, allowing passengers to experience a unique and safe spaceflight.
Several famous personalities have already participated in previous New Shepard missions. Jeff Bezos himself was aboard the first crewed flight, along with his brother Mark Bezos, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and 18-year-old Oliver Daemen. Star Trek legend William Shatner, astronaut Alan Shepard’s daughter Laura Shepard Churchley, and former New York Giants player Michael Strahan have also been part of past missions.
However, between 2022 and 2024, the company paused crewed flights following an accident during an uncrewed launch, which resulted in a booster crash. After implementing safety measures, Blue Origin resumed crewed spaceflights and is now pushing forward with ambitious plans for the future.
The New Shepard Rocket
The New Shepard rocket is named in honor of Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut in space. Since its first crewed mission, Blue Origin has successfully sent 52 individuals to suborbital space. All launches take place from the company’s Launch Site One in West Texas.
Those interested in experiencing space travel with New Shepard must reportedly pay a six-figure fee, although Blue Origin has not publicly disclosed exact ticket prices.
