Key takeaways:
- Blue Origin is launching its 11th human flight with an all-female crew, including pop star Katy Perry, marking the first all-female crewed mission since 1963.
- The crew consists of notable figures from diverse backgrounds, such as Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn, showcasing the expanding scope of private space travel participants.
- The mission, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET from Van Horn, Texas, aims to reach the edge of space, offering a brief experience of weightlessness, and highlights the growing role of private companies in space tourism.
Blue Origin is set to launch its 11th human flight of the New Shepard program, featuring an all-female crew that includes pop superstar Katy Perry and several other notable figures. The mission, scheduled for Monday, will see the crew embark on a journey to the edge of space aboard a capsule and rocket developed by the private spaceflight company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. This flight marks a significant milestone as the first all-female crewed mission since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963.
Joining Perry on this historic flight are Gayle King, co-host of “CBS Mornings”; Lauren Sánchez, a former journalist and Bezos’ fiancée; Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist; Amanda Nguyen, a civil rights activist and bioastronautics research scientist; and Kerianne Flynn, a film producer. The diverse backgrounds of the crew members highlight the broadening scope of participants in private space travel, reflecting a range of professional fields and expertise.
The launch is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m. ET from Blue Origin’s launch site in Van Horn, Texas. The mission aims to reach the boundary of space, offering the crew a brief but remarkable experience of weightlessness and a view of Earth from above. This venture is part of Blue Origin’s ongoing efforts to make space travel more accessible and to inspire a new generation of space enthusiasts.
Gayle King expressed her excitement about the upcoming flight, comparing her anticipation to the feeling of delivering a baby. The mission underscores the growing interest and participation of high-profile individuals in space tourism, as well as the increasing role of private companies like Blue Origin in advancing human spaceflight.
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