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The Six Women Who Launched To Space With Katy Perry: Meet The Historic Blue Origin NS-31 Crew

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The question of who accompanied Katy Perry into space is one of the most compelling and current stories in celebrity space tourism, with the answer revealing a historic, all-female mission aboard a Jeff Bezos-owned rocket. Pop superstar Katy Perry did not just launch a new era of space-themed music; she completed a suborbital space flight on April 14, 2025, as part of the six-person crew for Blue Origin's New Shepard Mission NS-31. This mission marked a significant milestone as the company's eleventh human spaceflight and the first to carry an entirely female crew, making the journey a powerful statement on exploration and gender equality in the rapidly expanding commercial space sector. The flight, which reached the internationally recognized boundary of space, was short but monumental.

The six women who flew to the edge of space with Katy Perry were a diverse group of high-profile personalities, activists, and industry experts, proving that the modern "astronaut" comes from all walks of life. The crew included a media mogul, a former NASA rocket scientist, a civil rights activist, a film producer, and the fiancée of the company's founder. Each crew member brought a unique perspective to the 10-minute, 21-second journey, transforming the celebrity-fueled space trip into a moment of global attention for commercial spaceflight and the ongoing debate surrounding space tourism's legitimacy.

The All-Female Crew: Complete Biographies of Katy Perry's Fellow Citizen Astronauts

The Blue Origin NS-31 mission, which launched from Launch Site One in West Texas, was notable for its groundbreaking all-female crew. This diverse group of accomplished women from media, science, activism, and film production joined Katy Perry on her journey past the Kármán Line. Here is the complete list of the six women who flew to space on April 14, 2025:

  • Katy Perry: Pop Superstar and Entrepreneur
  • Lauren Sánchez: Emmy-Winning Journalist and Philanthropist
  • Gayle King: Broadcast Journalist and CBS Mornings Co-Host
  • Amanda Nguyen: Civil Rights Activist and Bioastronautics Scientist
  • Aisha Bowe: Former NASA Rocket Scientist and Entrepreneur
  • Kerianne Flynn: Film Producer and Socialite

Katy Perry: The Pop Icon in the Capsule

Katy Perry, born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, is one of the world's best-selling music artists, renowned for hits like "Firework," "Roar," and "E.T." Her involvement in the Blue Origin flight was a massive draw for the mission, bridging the gap between pop culture and aerospace. Perry carried a daisy, a symbol of her daughter Daisy Dove Bloom, on the flight, making the personal connection to her journey public. Her participation ignited a public discussion about the role of celebrity in promoting space tourism and the future of human space exploration.

Lauren Sánchez: The Pilot and Hostess of the Mission

Lauren Sánchez Bezos is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, licensed helicopter pilot, and the fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the owner of Blue Origin. Sánchez played a pivotal role in organizing the NS-31 mission, which was the first all-female crew to fly on New Shepard. She is also the founder of Black Ops Aviation, a female-owned aerial film and production company. Her journey was seen as a personal and professional milestone, underscoring her commitment to aviation and exploration.

Gayle King: The Veteran Journalist

Gayle King is a highly respected American television personality, author, and broadcast journalist, best known as the co-host of CBS Mornings. King, who openly discussed her fear of flying before the mission, conquered that fear to join the historic flight. Her participation brought the story of commercial spaceflight directly to millions of television viewers, providing a first-hand account of the experience from a veteran media perspective.

Amanda Nguyen: The Activist and Scientist

Amanda Nguyen is a civil rights activist, social entrepreneur, and bioastronautics scientist. She is famous for igniting the "Stop Asian Hate" movement and successfully drafting and passing the Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act. Her flight on NS-31 made her the first woman of Vietnamese heritage and the first Southeast Asian woman to fly into space. Nguyen's bioastronautics research focuses on women's health in space, giving her mission a scientific and humanitarian purpose beyond tourism.

Aisha Bowe: The NASA Rocket Scientist Turned Entrepreneur

Aisha Bowe is a Bahamian-American aerospace engineer, former NASA rocket scientist, and serial entrepreneur. She is the co-founder and CEO of STEMBoard, a technology company. Bowe's participation was particularly significant, as her flight made her the first Black woman confirmed to travel with Blue Origin. Her journey serves as an inspiration for STEM advocacy, particularly for women and minorities in science and technology.

Kerianne Flynn: The Film Producer and Adventurer

Kerianne Flynn is an American film producer and former human resources executive known for her passion for exploration and adventure. Blue Origin highlighted her lifelong aspiration to travel to space. Flynn has contributed to various film projects and joined the NS-31 mission as a space tourist, completing the historic six-woman crew. Her presence emphasizes the growing accessibility of space travel beyond just scientists and government astronauts.

The Controversy: Was Katy Perry's Flight Really "Space"?

The NS-31 mission, despite its historic all-female crew, was not without controversy, a common theme in the burgeoning space tourism industry. The main point of contention revolves around the definition of "space" and the difference between a suborbital and an orbital flight. This debate is rich with topical authority and is a key LSI for the main keyword.

Suborbital vs. Orbital Flight

The Blue Origin New Shepard rocket performed a suborbital flight, meaning the capsule traveled up to the edge of space and immediately returned to Earth without achieving the velocity needed to orbit the planet. The entire journey lasted just over ten minutes. Orbital flights, in contrast, require much higher speeds and altitudes, allowing the spacecraft to circle the Earth, a journey that can last days or months. Critics often minimize suborbital trips as simply very high-altitude jumps.

The Kármán Line Debate and Citizen Astronaut Status

The flight did, however, cross the Kármán Line, the internationally accepted boundary of space, located 100 kilometers (62 miles) above Earth’s mean sea level. This is the crucial detail that allows Blue Origin and its passengers to claim they went to space. The crew reached an altitude sufficient to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and view the curvature of the Earth against the blackness of space.

While NASA and the U.S. Air Force traditionally require a flight above 50 miles (80 km) and specific training to qualify for astronaut wings, Blue Origin designates its passengers as "citizen astronauts." Katy Perry and her crewmates are officially recognized as having traveled to space by the commercial space company, a designation that continues to fuel the debate over what truly constitutes an astronaut in the new era of space tourism.

The Impact of the All-Female NS-31 Mission

Beyond the celebrity factor of Katy Perry, the NS-31 mission has a lasting impact on several key areas, particularly in inspiring the next generation of explorers and normalizing commercial space travel. The mission's success highlights the growing market for space tourism and the technological reliability of the New Shepard system, which completed its eleventh crewed flight.

Promoting Diversity in STEM and Aerospace

The all-female crew, which included women of color like Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen, sent a powerful message about diversity in the aerospace industry. For decades, space exploration was dominated by military and government-trained male pilots. The NS-31 mission showcased that women from diverse professional and ethnic backgrounds can be at the forefront of the new space age, serving as a direct inspiration for young girls interested in STEM fields and space exploration.

The Future of Commercial Space Tourism

Katy Perry's flight, alongside other high-profile passengers, solidifies the growing legitimacy of commercial space tourism. While the cost of a Blue Origin ticket remains prohibitive for the average person, the visibility of missions like NS-31 accelerates development and competition in the industry. As companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX continue to fly more missions, the hope is that technology will advance and costs will eventually decrease, making the ultimate adventure of space travel accessible to a wider audience. The mission proved that the dream of seeing Earth from above is no longer limited to a select few government-trained individuals but is now a luxury experience for private citizens.

who went to space with katy perry
who went to space with katy perry

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