Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos plans to launch an all-female crew into space that includes pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez.
Also aboard the New Shepard rocket will be former NASA scientists Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen, along with film producer Kerianne Flynn. The flight is scheduled to take off some time this spring, Blue Origin announced in a press release.
The space travel company credited Sánchez for bringing the “mission together,” saying it’s intended to challenge the crew’s “perspectives of Earth, empower them to share their own stories, and create lasting impact that will inspire generations to come.”
Sánchez, a news reporter, author and actor, has worked closely with Bezos on many projects over the course of their near seven-year relationship. She’s also a licensed pilot who founded Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned aerial film and production company.
She and the billionaire Amazon founder have been engaged since May 2023, though no wedding date has been announced.
Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post, founded Blue Origin in 2000. The company completed its first manned-mission into sub-orbital space in 2021, with Bezos himself onboard.
Also on that flight were his older brother Mark, 82-year-old aviator Wally Funk and 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, who scored his ticket when an unnamed auction winner backed out of collecting his prize. The rocket launched from West Texas and traveled about 66 miles into the air before returning to Earth.
Blue Orbit gave few technical details about the Sánchez-led NS-31 flight. It will be New Shepard’s 11th flight to carry humans and 31st overall.
The exploration company says it has flown 52 people above the Kármán line, which is the internationally recognized border before space.