Blue Origin is about to launch some major girl power into space.
The space technology company, founded by Jeff Bezos, will embark on its latest mission this spring with an all-female crew that includes Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez and several other notable names.
Per a press release, this marks the 11th human flight for Blue Origins’ New Shepard program and the 31st flight since its founding. So far, 52 people have flown with the program above the Kármán line, which Blue Origins defines as “the internationally recognized boundary of space.”
Organized by Lauren Sánchez, an aviation expert who is engaged to Bezos, the flight named NS-31 will take place in the spring of 2025.
Get to know the crew of the NS-31 mission below.
Lauren Sánchez
Lauren Sánchez is known as an Emmy Award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of the children’s book “The Fly Who Flew to Space.” Her other accolades include work as a licensed helicopter pilot and vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund.
Sánchez is the founder of Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned and operated aerial film and production company. In 2024, she earned the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award.
Sánchez is “honored to lead a team of explorers on a mission that will challenge their perspectives of Earth, empower them to share their own stories, and create lasting impact that will inspire generations to come,” per the Blue Origin press release.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is a pop star who holds the honor of being Capitol Records’ biggest-selling female artist of all time, per Blue Origins. Her hits include “Roar,” “Firework,” “Last Friday Night,” “California Gurls” and more.
Outside of her musical career, Perry serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and operates the Firework Foundation, an organization that works with children from underserved communities.
“Katy is honored to be a part of Blue Origin’s first all-female crew and hopes her journey encourages her daughter and others to reach for the stars, literally and figuratively,” her biography reads in the release.
Gayle King
Gayle King is most known for her work as a co-host of “CBS Mornings.” The journalist also works as an editor-at-large of Oprah Daily and the host of the “Gayle King in the House” show on SiriusXM radio.
Her goals for the mission: “As someone who is staying open to new adventures, even ones that scare her, Gayle is honored to be part of Blue Origin’s first all-female flight team and is looking forward to stepping out of her comfort zone,” King’s biography says in the release.
Aisha Bowe
Aisha Bowe is a former NASA rocket scientist and also an entrepreneur and STEM advocate. Currently, Bowe serves as the CEO of STEMBoard, an engineering firm. She’s also the founder of LINGO, an edtech company.
Her goals for the mission: “Of Bahamian heritage, Aisha hopes her journey from community college to space will inspire young people in the Bahamas and around the world to pursue their dreams,” her biography reads in the release.
Kerianne Flynn
Kerianne Flynn worked in fashion and human resources through much of her career. In the last decade, she has focused on nonprofit work with The Allen-Stevenson School, The High Line, and Hudson River Park.
Flynn has also produced several films, including “This Changes Everything” and “Lilly.”
Her goals for the mission: “Kerianne has always been drawn to exploration, adventure, and space, and hopes her Blue Origin space flight serves as an inspiration for her son, Dex, and the next generation of dreamers to reach for the stars,” her biography reads in the release.
Amanda Nguyen
Amanda Nguyen is a bioastronautics research scientist who has worked on projects at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics, MIT, NASA and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. She has worked on several space missions, including the last NASA shuttle mission, STS-135 and the Kepler exoplanet mission.
Nguyen was named a Time 2022 Woman of the Year and a 2019 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work advocating for sexual violence survivors.