Feb 28, 2025 09:00 AM IST
The all-female crew for the expedition also includes CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King.
Elton John may have been the rocket man but it’s Katy Perry who will be heading into space. The aerospace company announced that the American pop star will be transported to space in a rocket operated by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. The 40-year-old singer joins an all-female six-person team who will be flying on the upcoming New Shepard NS-31 mission. The mission is the brainchild of journalist Lauren Sanchez, the wife of American billionaire Bezos. (Also read: Katy Perry opens up about her meetup with Taylor Swift at Eras Tour after past feud)
Katy Perry goes to space
The team comprises Perry, rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bio-astronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sanchez. This will be the 11th human flight for the New Shepard programme, which carries paying customers to the edge of space.
In a social media post, CBS Morning said King would be “going where few have gone before” and teased that viewers would be able to “watch Gayle take to the skies” in spring.
In a video post on her social media handles, Lauren Sanchez, 55, said that she hopes the mission will inspire people to “dream big”. “If someone would have told me that I would be able to go to space one day, I would have definitely, well, I don’t know, laughed”, she said. “I can’t believe it’s happening. My dad used to teach people how to fly, and I used to hang around the hangar. I thought dreaming of becoming a pilot was a huge deal, and this is even bigger. The incredible women who are going on this flight are extraordinary in all of their fields, but more importantly, they’re incredible storytellers. So what I’m hoping for is that this flight is not just transformative for them, but also for all of the people that they tell their story to. Hopefully, it sparks that imagination to dream big and reach for the stars.”
About Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin
Blue Origin has flown tourists on short hops to space since 2021. Some passengers have been given free rides, while others have paid a hefty sum to experience weightlessness. Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, climbed aboard with his brother for the inaugural flight.
(With PA Media inputs)
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