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Blue Origin’s NS-31 spacefliers include Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos’ fiancee; Gayle King, co-host of “CBS Mornings”; pop superstar Katy Perry; and Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn and Amanda Nguyen, three advocates for women in science, technology, engineering and math. (Blue Origin Photos)
The next suborbital spaceflight planned by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is due to follow through on the dream of Bezos’ fiancee, Lauren Sanchez, to lead an all-woman crew — and that crew will include pop superstar Katy Perry and morning-TV host Gayle King.
Three advocates for women in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, will round out the six-person crew for a mission known as NS-31, Blue Origin announced today. The date for the flight hasn’t yet been announced, but the company says it will launch this spring.
“This will be the first all-female flight crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963,” Blue Origin said in a reference to the Soviet space pioneer.
In a posting to Threads, Sanchez called her crewmates “fearless explorers.”
“I really see this group as explorers, and storytellers, each of us about to be changed by a remarkable view of our beautiful planet,” she said. “The countdown starts now!”
Sanchez talked about her desire to go into space with other women more than two years ago in a Wall Street Journal interview. At the time, she said her five crewmates would be “women who are making a difference in the world and who are impactful and have a message to send.”
“I’m super-excited about it. And a little nervous,” she said.
Sanchez, a licensed helicopter pilot and former TV news anchor, first started dating Bezos in 2019 after the announcement of his divorce from MacKenzie Scott. Reports of their engagement emerged in 2023.
In the WSJ Magazine interview, Sanchez said Bezos — who was on Blue Origin’s first crewed suborbital spaceflight in 2021 — would be watching from the sidelines when she takes her turn. “As much as he wants to go on this flight, I’m going to have to hold him back,” she told the magazine.
Here’s the rundown on Sanchez’s crewmates:
Katy Perry is the biggest-selling female artist in Capitol Records’ history and one of the best-selling music artists of all time with more than 115 billion streams. Aside from being a global pop superstar, Katy is an active advocate of many philanthropic causes, including as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and the founder of the Firework Foundation.
Gayle King is an award-winning journalist, co-host of “CBS Mornings,” editor-at-large of “Oprah Daily” and the host of “Gayle King in the House” on SiriusXM radio. “I don’t know how to explain being terrified and excited at the same time. It’s like how I felt about to deliver a baby,” King said on “CBS Mornings.”
Aisha Bowe is a former NASA rocket scientist, entrepreneur and global STEM advocate. She is the CEO of STEMBoard, an engineering firm that provides advisory services to federal and commercial organizations; and the founder of LINGO, which aims to help students with their STEM education. Bowe referred to the upcoming flight on Instagram. “This is more than a personal dream,” she wrote. “It’s about breaking boundaries, representing what’s possible, and showing the next generation that space is for everyone.”
Amanda Nguyen is a bioastronautics research scientist. She graduated from Harvard, and conducted research at Harvard Center for Astrophysics, MIT, NASA and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. “Thank you to the countless people who have made my dream of becoming an astronaut possible,” Nguyen said on Instagram.
Kerianne Flynn is a producer for films including “This Changes Everything,” which explores the history of women in Hollywood; and “Lilly,” a tribute to fair-pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter. She’s also involved in community-building in New York City through board service and nonprofit work with The Allen-Stevenson School, The High Line and Hudson River Park. “I’m going to space!” Flynn said on Instagram.
Beginning with the first crewed flight in 2021, Blue Origin has sent 52 people on suborbital space trips. The list includes Star Trek captain William Shatner, TV host and football analyst Michael Strahan, and aerospace pioneers such as “Mercury 13” aviator Wally Funk and Black fighter pilot Ed Dwight.
Blue Origin’s most recent crewed mission took place just a couple of days ago. The company doesn’t typically discuss the ticket prices for its suborbital spaceflights, but it seems safe to assume that Sanchez and her crewmates won’t be paying full fare.
