Blue Origin’s New Shepard mission NS-31 was successfully launched from Launch Site One in West Texas today, April 14, marking the company’s 11th human spaceflight. This particular mission is historic as it carried an all-women crew, a first for Blue Origin and a significant moment in space travel.
The NS-31 crew comprised a diverse group of accomplished women from various fields. The highly anticipated flight included global pop superstar Katy Perry, who expressed her hope to inspire her daughter and other women to “take up space.” Joining her was journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, the fiancée of Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, who was instrumental in assembling this unique crew.
Also on board were Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist and founder of a STEM education company, who made history as the first Bahamian woman in space. Civil rights activist Amanda Nguyễn, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and the driving force behind the Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights, became the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman to reach space. Completing the crew were award-winning journalist and co-host of “CBS Mornings” Gayle King, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
The New Shepard vehicle followed its typical flight profile, ascending beyond the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space at 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth. This suborbital flight allowed the crew to experience several minutes of weightlessness and witness the curvature of the Earth before safely returning via parachute to the West Texas landing site.
This mission not only represents a step forward in making space accessible to a wider range of individuals but also highlights the significant contributions women are making across diverse sectors. The presence of prominent figures like Katy Perry and Gayle King is expected to draw considerable attention to space exploration and inspire future generations, particularly young girls, to pursue their dreams in STEM and beyond. The successful completion of NS-31 is a testament to Blue Origin’s continued efforts in the burgeoning field of commercial spaceflight.
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