Heads Up: Blue Origin Readies Rocket Launch With All-Female Crew

New Delhi: Global music superstar Katy Perry is set to soar beyond Earth as part of an all-female crew aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, marking a historic return of women-only spaceflight not seen since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo mission in 1963.

Joining Perry on this suborbital journey are five accomplished women: Lauren Sanchez, journalist Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe. The flight is scheduled for liftoff at approximately 8:30 am local time from Blue Origin's private launch site in West Texas.

The New Shepard rocket will ascend beyond the Karman line 100 kilometers above sea level making it a true spaceflight by international standards. The 11-minute mission will offer the crew a few minutes of weightlessness and breathtaking views of Earth from panoramic capsule windows.

The fully automated flight will see the crew capsule detach mid-flight before descending back to Earth with the help of parachutes and retro rockets, ensuring a safe and gentle landing.

Katy Perry, who described the opportunity as “surreal,” shared her hope that the mission would inspire young people especially her daughter Daisy—“to never have limits on her dreams.” Blue Origin says the mission is a step forward in promoting gender diversity in space and making space tourism more inclusive.

Katy Perry Carrying These Things With Her 

In a heartfelt message, the ‘Roar’ singer said, “She (Daisy Dove Bloom) is four and a half, and it's very normal for us to talk about me going to space. I love my family and I am so grateful to be representing fearless women from my family. I am taking 300 bracelets to space for kids. I am taking a real-life daisy from Earth to remind us that this planet is so special, and I will reveal my setlist from space for my next tour."