Katy Perry is about to make headlines beyond the music world as she prepares to board a spaceflight with an all-women crew.
The mission, powered by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company, will see the pop icon join five other pioneering women on a suborbital journey that marks a rare moment in space history.
The launch is scheduled to take place in West Texas, with the New Shepard rocket set to lift off as early as 08:30 local time. The short but thrilling flight will last around 11 minutes, taking the capsule more than 100 kilometers above Earth. This will push the crew past the Kármán Line, the boundary where space officially begins, giving them a few moments of weightlessness before descending back to Earth.
The crew is made up of women from diverse backgrounds. Alongside Perry are Lauren Sánchez, a journalist and the fiancée of Jeff Bezos; CBS anchor Gayle King; Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist; civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen; and film producer Kerianne Flynn. Each of them brings a unique story, and together they will be part of a moment that breaks new ground in the space tourism era.
The New Shepard rocket they will ride is fully autonomous. No pilots are needed, and none of the crew will manually steer the craft. The capsule is designed to detach mid-flight and reach a peak altitude of roughly 106 kilometers before beginning its descent. It will land softly using parachutes, while the rocket booster will make a vertical landing nearby—about two miles from where it launched.
The mission is symbolic on many fronts. The last all-female spaceflight happened over 60 years ago when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to orbit the Earth solo. Since then, while many women have traveled to space, an all-female crew has not returned until now.
For Perry, this trip reflects a childhood dream. In a post shared online, she said that as a young girl she never stopped imagining new possibilities, even when life was tough. Now, she’s set to become part of an exclusive group of civilians who have crossed into space.
The Blue Origin team has trained the crew over a two-day program focused on safety, physical preparation, and zero-gravity protocols. The mission also includes two support roles known as Crew Member Seven—one coach assists the team throughout their training, and the other maintains communication from the ground during the flight.
Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000, is one of the leading players in private space exploration. The company’s New Shepard rocket is fully reusable, helping to reduce costs and environmental impact. Though ticket prices are not fully disclosed, the $150,000 deposit required for a seat shows just how exclusive space tourism remains for now.
While space tourism has drawn criticism for its high cost and environmental concerns, many experts argue that it fuels innovation and opens the door for broader access in the future. Supporters believe ventures like this are not just about tourism but about building the technology needed for humanity’s future in space.
After decades of space exploration dominated by government agencies and male crews, this all-women mission represents a powerful shift. Whether as scientists, entertainers, or advocates, the six women on board are helping to write a new chapter in space travel—one that reflects the growing diversity of those aiming for the stars.