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Blue Origin Set to Launch Katy Perry and All-Female Crew to Suborbital Space
Blue Origin, the space venture founded by Jeff Bezos, is preparing to send pop superstar Katy Perry to the edge of space alongside five other accomplished women. The cohort for the NS-31 mission features former NASA scientists Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen, celebrated journalist Gayle King, journalist and Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. Their suborbital flight is slated to launch aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, with the launch window commencing at 8:30 AM Central Time / 9:30 AM Eastern Time. The entire event will be broadcast live on YouTube and the Blue Origin website.
NS-31 Mission Details
Prior New Shepard flights have successfully carried passengers to the fringes of space, granting them a few minutes of weightlessness within the capsule before the return to Earth. During these brief periods of suborbital flight, passengers are able to unbuckle and float freely. Subsequently, the capsule initiates re-entry, deploying parachutes for a gentle touchdown in West Texas. Concurrently, the New Shepard rocket executes a controlled vertical landing at its designated launch site.
Katy Perry Hints at Zero-Gravity Surprise
In a pre-flight video message shared on Instagram, Katy Perry disclosed her plans for a “special reveal coming to you from zero gravity,” creating anticipation among her fans. Earlier, Perry provided followers with a virtual tour of the New Shepard capsule she and her fellow travelers will occupy during their spaceflight, suggesting the possibility of an impromptu performance amidst the stars.
Blue Origin’s Continued Space Tourism Efforts
The NS-31 mission marks a milestone as Blue Origin’s 31st launch of the New Shepard reusable rocket. The preceding New Shepard mission took place in February. Notable figures who have previously journeyed to space with Blue Origin include actor William Shatner and Ed Dwight, a 90-year-old former Air Force pilot who was once in line to be America’s first Black astronaut but never reached space until recently.