Blue Origin Set to Launch Historic All-Woman Spaceflight
Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Jeff Bezos, is preparing for a groundbreaking mission that promises to be a significant moment in the history of space travel. The company has announced its next New Shepard flight, slated for this spring, will carry an all-woman crew into suborbital space. This mission aims to be the first of its kind since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963, representing a monumental step forward for women in space exploration.
The flight arrives as Blue Origin intensifies its presence as a key player in the rapidly expanding commercial space industry. The company is actively competing with industry giants like Elon Musk’s SpaceX for lucrative contracts with NASA and other private entities. This all-woman flight will serve as another milestone for the company.
The New Shepard spacecraft is designed to provide a brief but exhilarating experience for its passengers. During the 11-minute journey, the crew will ascend beyond the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, located at an altitude of 100 kilometers (62 miles) above Earth. Crossing this threshold will allow them to experience several minutes of weightlessness and witness breathtaking views of our planet through the spacecraft’s expansive windows, which cover over a third of the capsule’s surface.
Notably, the New Shepard is a fully autonomous vehicle, eliminating the need for traditional pilots. According to Blue Origin, every individual on board will be considered a crew member, without specialized roles. This design underscores the company’s commitment to making space travel accessible to a wider range of individuals.
Lauren Sánchez, Bezos’ fiancée, played a pivotal role in assembling the flight crew. Expressing her enthusiasm for the mission, Sánchez stated, "This flight will undoubtedly prove to be a life-changing experience for each of us, and I’m honored to be with such an incredible group of explorers. Most importantly, I am looking forward to all the women in this crew sharing their story and inspiring future generations to dream big."
The crew for New Shepard’s 11th human flight, designated NS-31, consists of six accomplished women: Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez. Each member brings a unique background and perspective to the mission.
Meet the Crew:
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Aisha Bowe: A former NASA rocket scientist, Bowe is now a successful entrepreneur and an advocate for STEM education globally. As the CEO of STEMBoard and the founder of LINGO, she is dedicated to inspiring young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. "Every step of my journey, from community college to NASA, entrepreneurship, and now space, has been about showing that no dream is out of reach. Flying alongside these remarkable women, we are expanding the art of the possible," Bowe expressed.
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Amanda Nguyen: Nguyen is a bioastronautics research scientist. She’s also set to become the first Vietnamese woman to journey into space. "I’m flying for Vietnamese girls to see themselves in the stars." Nguyen’s work has spanned prestigious institutions such as Harvard Center for Astrophysics, MIT, NASA, and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences.
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Gayle King: A prominent journalist and co-host of CBS Mornings, King is also the editor-at-large of Oprah Daily and the host of Gayle King in the House on SiriusXM radio. "To take on a new adventure at this point of my life is exciting to me, especially with this group of fantastic women,” King shared.
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Katy Perry: As one of the best-selling music artists of all time and a former host of American Idol, Perry has achieved global recognition. With over 143 million albums sold worldwide, she brings a unique perspective to the crew. Perry remarked, "If you had told me that I would be part of the first ever all-female crew in space, I would have believed you. Nothing was beyond my imagination as a child."
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Kerianne Flynn: Flynn has dedicated the past decade to nonprofit work and film production. In 2024, she produced the film "Lilly," which tells the story of Lilly Ledbetter, the American activist whose Supreme Court case led to the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009. “Hopefully, myself and other future astronauts can use this experience to motivate the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators about the importance of taking care of our planet and living on it as one human race,” Flynn stated.
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Lauren Sánchez: In addition to being Bezos’ fiancée, Sánchez is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, a New York Times best-selling author, a licensed pilot, the Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, and a mother of three.
A Historic Precedent:
The last spaceflight that could be considered an all-woman mission featured only one individual: Valentina Tereshkova. Launched aboard the Soviet spacecraft Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963, Tereshkova became the first woman in space. During her nearly three-day flight, Vostok 6 completed 48 orbits around the Earth. Upon the mission’s completion, Tereshkova was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. While she never returned to space, she became a prominent spokesperson for the Soviet Union, according to NASA.
Named in honor of astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, New Shepard is Blue Origin’s fully reusable suborbital rocket system. This upcoming mission will mark the 11th human flight for the New Shepard program and the 31st in its history. To date, the program has successfully flown 52 people above the Kármán line, solidifying Blue Origin’s position as a leader in commercial space travel.
