Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Pop icon Katy Perry is set to embark on a spaceflight journey, joining five other notable figures for a suborbital trip aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft. The launch, orchestrated by Jeff Bezos’ space venture, is scheduled for Monday.
Celebrity Space Crew to Launch with Blue Origin
Katy Perry, the celebrated singer, will be part of an all-female group venturing to the edge of space. Scheduled to accompany Perry on this space tourism mission are Gayle King, co-anchor of “CBS Mornings”; Lauren Sánchez, philanthropist and partner of Jeff Bezos; Aisha Bowe, aerospace engineer and former NASA scientist; Amanda Nguyen, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and research scientist; and Kerianne Flynn, film producer.
Historic All-Female Spaceflight
The launch is slated for Monday at 9:30 a.m. ET from Blue Origin’s launch facility in Van Horn, Texas. This voyage is being heralded as a significant event, marking the first all-woman crew since 1963 when Valentina Tereshkova, representing the former Soviet Union, became the first woman in space.
New Shepard Rocket to Propel Crew to Space
Perry and her fellow passengers will ascend aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, experiencing acceleration exceeding three times the speed of sound. The entire flight is projected to last approximately 10 minutes, carrying the six individuals beyond the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space situated at 62 miles altitude.
Experiencing Weightlessness and Return
Upon reaching this altitude, the crew will encounter a brief period of weightlessness before commencing their descent. The capsule will then return to Earth under parachutes, landing in the Texas desert.
Blue Origin’s Continued Foray into Space Tourism
This mission represents Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight. The New Shepard system, named in honor of Alan Shepard, the first American in space, is an autonomous spacecraft designed for suborbital space travel without an onboard pilot. Blue Origin has become a prominent player in the burgeoning space tourism sector. Previously, the company has flown renowned figures such as “Star Trek” actor William Shatner, former football star Michael Strahan, Laura Shepard Churchley, daughter of Alan Shepard, and Jeff Bezos himself.
While the exact cost of a New Shepard ticket remains undisclosed by Blue Origin, it is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The company has not revealed whether the celebrity participants in Monday’s flight received complimentary passage for this extraordinary experience.