Sanchez invited Perry and King along with Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist who now heads an engineering firm, research scientist Amanda Nguyen and movie producer Kerianne Flynn.
Blue Origin has set a launch date for sending Gayle King, Katy Perry and Lauren Sanchez into space.
King, Perry, and Sanchez will blast off over Van Horn, Texas, with three other women sometime after 8:30 a.m. CT on Monday, April 14.
"CBS Mornings" co-host King, Bezos' girlfriend Sanchez, and popstar Perry will take a brief 11-minute ride to the edge of space alongside former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, and movie producer Kerianne Flynn.
After a few minutes of weightlessness 62 miles above the surface, the autonomous vehicle will fall back to West Texas. Three large parachutes will slow its descent and shortly before hitting the dirt, a burst of gas will slow the capsule to about 2 mph.
NS-31 will be the 11th crewed flight for the New Shepherd rocket. Each flight crew gets its own mission patch, which includes symbols for each passenger. Blue Origin released the following details about the patch on Thursday.
- The target star symbolizes Aisha Bowe’s ambition for setting big goals, passion for STEM, and commitment to inspiring future generations.
- The scales of justice symbolize Amanda Nguyễn’s efforts to advocate for civil rights, break barriers, and empower everyday people to create change.
- The shooting star microphone represents Gayle King’s commitment to sharing important stories with the world.
- The firework symbolizes Katy Perry’s global influence across music, pop culture, and philanthropy.
- The film reel symbolizes Kerianne Flynn’s passion for filmmaking, storytelling, and crafting beautiful narratives.
- Flynn the Fly, the main character in Lauren Sánchez’s bestselling children’s book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, is along for the ride. The story is about overcoming adversity, inspiring kids with learning differences to pursue their dreams.
Previous notable passengers have included Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, "Star Trek" actor William Shatner, former New York Giants great Michael Strahan, pioneering aviator Wally Funk, and astronaut Alan Shepard's daughter Laura Shepard Churchley. The rocket carrying the capsule into space was named after her father, the first American in space.
For more information on the crew, visit BlueOrigin.com.
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