The Blue Origin all-female crew for launch on Monday, April 14. Photo:
Cover Images via AP Images
Blue Origin’s first all-female flight crew just went to space.
Flight NS-31 took off from West Texas on Monday, April 14, in a historic trip set that lasted about eight minutes.
The round-trip expedition went to the edge of space before promptly returning, as the astronauts inside — including Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez — could be heard shouting in excitement from inside their New Shepard rocket.
The group of six also included former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
Among the onlookers at the launch site was Perry’s daughter Daisy, whom she shares with Orlando Bloom (who was also there) as well as King’s best friend Oprah Winfrey and others, like Kris Jenner and Khloe Kardashian.
The Blue Origin NS-31 launch on Monday, April 14. Blue Origin/Youtube
The crew of the Blue Origin mission on Monday, April 14. X ACCOUNT OF BLUE ORIGIN/AFP via Getty
The women sat down with Elle ahead of their mission, sharing their nerves and excitement. King said she had ongoing feelings of “trepidation” but was “really really excited” about the opportunity.
“I also know it’s very interesting to be terrified and excited at the same time. I haven’t felt like this since childbirth, really. Because I knew childbirth was going to hurt. But it’s also stepping out of your comfort zone,” the CBS broadcaster, 70, said.
Elsewhere in that interview, the “Firework” singer, 40, said the women weren’t going to space without looking their best.
Perry said: “Space is going to finally be glam. Let me tell you something. If I could take glam up with me, I would do that. We are going to put the ‘ass’ in astronaut.”
Bowe, 38, already tested her makeup look and hairstyle, telling Elle, “I skydived in Dubai with similar hair to make sure I would be good—took it for a dry run.”
The Blue Origin NS-31 mission landing in West Texas on Monday, April 14. Blue Origin/Youtube
The mission did not come without its share of criticism. Earlier this month, actress Olivia Munn shared her discontent with the mission on the April 3 episode of Today With Jenna and Friends.
“What are they doing?” the Newsroom star, 44, asked of the crew.
“I know this probably isn’t the cool thing to say,” she added, per Page Six. “But there are so many other things that are so important in the world right now.”
She later added: “If you wanna go to space, why do you need to tell us about it, you know? It’s just like, go up there, have a good time, come on down.”
Host Jenna Bush Hager mentioned the crew’s intention to complete the mission in full glam. To which Munn asked, “What? They said this out loud?!”
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“What’s the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s a bit gluttonous,” she said. “Space exploration was to further our knowledge and to help mankind. What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”
