Katy Perry to become first pop star in space as she joins all-female crew on Blue Origin rocket
27 February 2025, 18:04
Katy Perry is set to become the first pop star in space as she joins an all-female crew aboard one of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rockets.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The star will be joined by Bezos' fiancee Lauren Sanchez as well as CBS Mornings host Gayle King.
The others on board will be aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and producer Kerianne Flynn.
Ms Sanchez, a helicopter pilot and former TV journalist, picked the crew who will join her on a 10-minute spaceflight from West Texas.
They will blast off sometime this spring aboard a New Shepard rocket. A launch date is yet to be confirmed.
"Katy is honoured 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," a statement read.
Ms Sanchez, 55, said in a video post to social media that she hopes the mission will inspire people to "dream big".
"If someone would have told me that I would be able to go to space one day, I would have definitely, well, I don't know, laughed", she said.
"I can't believe it's happening. My dad used to teach people how to fly, and I used to hang around the hanger and I thought dreaming of becoming a pilot was a huge deal, and this is even bigger.
"The incredible women that are going on this flight are extraordinary in all of their fields, but more importantly, they're incredible storytellers.
"So what I'm hoping for is, this flight is not just transformative for them, but also for all of the people that they tell their story to.
"Hopefully it sparks that imagination to a dream big and reach for the stars."
Blue Origin has flown tourists on short hops to space since 2021.
Some passengers have gotten free rides, while others have paid a hefty sum to experience weightlessness.
This will be Blue Origin's 11th human spaceflight.
Mr Bezos climbed aboard with his brother for the inaugural flight.
