Blue Origin Flight: Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King & More React to Landing Back on Earth

Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King and more opened up about their trip to space as part of the all-woman crew for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin NS-31 mission on April 14 after landing back on Earth.  

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Watch : Olivia Munn Calls Out Blue Origin Space Mission With Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez and More

These new astronauts have phoned home.

The Blue Origin all-women crew have officially landed safely back on Earth after their April 14 visit to space. Along with Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, the team included Katy Perry, Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

The crew—who were in space for approximately 4 minutes—traveled to the Kármán line (the spot separating Earth’s atmosphere and space) 62 miles above the planet. And when they reached the ground, both Katy and Gayle immediately kissed the ground, grateful for their return. Meanwhile, Lauren, happily back on Earth, joked that she needed to return for her summer wedding to Jeff that they have been planning.  

Upon returning, Gayle—who is notoriously scared of flying—shared she had no regrets going to space. “It’s oddly quiet when you get up there, and you look down at the planet,” she told Blue Origin at the West Texas launch site. “It really made me think we really need to do better.”

“We are forever bounded. You can’t go through what we’ve gone through and not be,” she added. “It really is a true sisterhood.”

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Gayle also shared that on their way down, Katy sang “What a Beautiful World” by Louis Armstrong. When asked why she chose the song, Katy explained, “I’ve covered that song in the past, and obviously, my higher self is steering the ship because I had no idea I would one day sing that in space.”

“It’s about making space for future women,” she continued. “This is all for the benefit of Earth.”

Joined by her fiancée Orlando Bloom and daughter Daisy Dove at the launch, the “Firework” singer also brought a special token with her to space: A live daisy for inspiration. “Daisy is a common flower, but they grow through any condition,” Katy said. “They are a reminder of our beautiful Earth and the magic that is everywhere and all around us, even in a simple daisy.”

Gayle King/Instagram

As for film producer Kerrianne, she also spoke to how being a mother inspired her decision. When her son told his friends that she was going to space, she recalled they responded, “Moms don’t go to space.” However, she was able to prove differently. 

For the mission, the six-person all-female crew launched from West Texas, joined by family members and friends. Oprah Winfrey attended to cheer on her best friend Gayle, sporting a yellow sweater alongside Gayle’s kids Kirby Bumpus and William Bumpus.

Ahead of the launch, Lauren’s fiancé and Blue Origin founder Jeff joined the launch to support his partner, sharing a message with the crew before takeoff. "I am so excited for you, I don't want to get off," he said while on the rocket with the crew. "I want to go with you."

"And when you get back,” he continued, “I can't wait to hear how it's changed you. I love all of you. See you soon, Godspeed."

Lauren Sanchez/Instagram

The trip to space carried a lot of meaning for those onboard, who all hope to inspire future generations and expand the idea of what space exploration can look like.

“All of these women are storytellers in their own right,” Lauren told Elle on April 2. “They’re going to go up to space and be able to spread what they felt in different ways.”

This was the first all-female flight since 1963 when the Soviet Union sent Valentina Tereshkova on a solo mission. 

As former rocket scientist Aisha explained, “This representation really matters. It’s people seeing themselves and being able to show up authentically in their careers in the future.”

Keep reading to learn more about the mission.

Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images

What Is Blue Origin?

Founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos in 2000, Blue Origin is a private space company headquartered in Kent, Washington.

According to its website, the organization aims to leverage space's resources to benefit Earth as well as expand humanity's presence in space through increased transportation and the creation of living and working destinations in the low Earth orbit.

Blue Origin says it's working to achieve these goals by building reusable rockets and engines to reduce the cost of space travel, make space travel more accessible to civilians and drive sustainability.

"Our vision is millions of people living and working in space," Bezos said during a talk at the 2016 Pathfinder Awards. "We want to reduce the cost of getting into space dramatically by focusing on reusability."

So how much does it cost to book a seat on a Blue Origin flight? While the company doesn't list its prices on its website, it does note a $150,000 deposit is required.

Blue Origin

What Is New Shepard?

Named after astronaut Alan Shepard—who made history when he became the first American to travel to space in 1961—New Shepard is what Blue Origin describes as a "fully reusable, suborbital rocket system built for human flight."

Six people can sit in New Shepard's pressurized crew capsule. But don't look for a pilot seat. Because as Blue Origin's website notes, "The vehicle is fully autonomous—there are no pilots."

New Shepard first launched in 2015 as part of a flight test program that consisted of 16 successful tests, which were completed in 2021. 

In July of that year, Bezos and his brother Mark took part in New Shepard's first human flight along with an auction winner that secured a seat for a whopping $28 million. William Shatner and Michael Strahan were also among the travelers to board the vehicle later that year (though they were on separate missions).

The upcoming voyage will mark New Shepard's 31st mission (hence the name NS-31) and its 11th human flight.

Blue Origin

When and Where Is the Launch for New Shepard's NS-31 Mission?

New Shepard's NS-31 mission is aiming for liftoff from Blue Origin's Launch Site One—located among the Guadalupe Mountain range in the West Texas desert—April 14, with the company's website noting the launch window opens at 8:30 a.m. CDT.

Blue Origin

What Will New Shepard's Journey for the NS-31 Mission Look Like and How Long Will it Take?

"New Shepard astronauts ascend toward space at more than three times the speed of sound," Blue Origin's website states. "They pass the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space 62 miles (100 km) above Earth, before unbuckling to float weightless and gaze at our planet. The crew returns gently under parachutes."

In terms of timing, the company notes the entire trip should take about 11 minutes.

 

Gayle King/Instagram

Who Is Part of the Crew for Blue Origin's NS-31 Mission?

The crew for mission NS-31 consists of singer Katy Perry, CBS Mornings host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, STEMBoard founder and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist and activist Amanda Nguyen, and former TV anchor Lauren Sánchez (who is engaged to Bezos). In fact, this is the first all-female spaceflight crew since 1963, when the Soviet Union's Valentina Tereshkova went on a solo mission and became the first woman to travel to space.

Nguyen is making history as the first Vietnamese woman to travel to space, and Bowe is entering the history books as the first person of Bahamian heritage to go where few have gone before.

Lauren Sanchez/Instagram

What Are Some of the NS-31 Crew’s Reasons for Going to Space?

Each member of the crew has her own reasons for being part of this mission.

In a recent cover story for ELLE, many of the women expressed their desire to inspire future generations. For Perry, this includes reminding Daisy, the daughter she shares with fiancé Orlando Bloom, to "never have limits on her dreams and show her that any type of person can reach their dreams—no matter your background, your ethnicity, your economic situation, or your education level."

As for King, who has been honest about her nerves, she told the magazine she hopes to encourage people to step outside their comfort zones.

"Once I do it," she added, "then the doors will open for so many other people who thought, 'Okay, I was one of those reluctant people, but now I’m here and I am really, really excited to go.'"

And Nguyen noted that, for her, it's getting the chance to fulfill a "dream deferred."

"I worked at NASA, I studied the stars—astrophysics at Harvard and MIT—but life got in the way," she told the publication. "Gender-based violence is a big reason why so many women in STEM don’t continue on with their training, and I was one of those women. After I was sexually assaulted, I traded my telescope to fight for my rights as a sexual assault survivor. I drafted the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, passed it in Congress and at the United Nations. And then, after 10 years, I was like, 'I want to honor the person that I was before I was hurt.'"

Blue Origin

Does the Crew for the NS-31 Mission Go Through Any Training?

According to Good Morning America, all crew members will also head to the launch site days before the mission for training sessions, which will include getting fitted in their flight suits, becoming familiar with the capsule, learning how to communicate with ground control and going over safety protocols.

However, some members of the crew did their own preparations ahead of the mission.

"I’ve been training for this in some way or another for the last year, but recently I turned up the intensity," Bowe told ELLE weeks before the launch. "I just completed a NASTAR simulation, where I had the opportunity to actually experience what I can expect to encounter on the flight. For me, the physical preparation is really important. I want to have my body know what it feels like to go up. We’ve got a fighter jet flight booked, and I’m really excited about that."

Flynn also said she did "several zero-gravity simulation flights."

"They carve out a Boeing 747 and fly the plane in a parabolic pattern, so when the plane descends, everyone floats up," she added. "That was to get used to the feeling of weightlessness. So I think I’m going to have some fun with that when we’re up. I also did the NASTAR training in Philadelphia and experienced up to five Gs of pressure."

Kerianne Flynn/Instagram

Does the Crew Get to Bring Any Personal Belongings to Space?

Just a few things.

King told ELLE she's bringing some photos while Sánchez shared she's carrying a stuffed animal of the character Flynn from her children's book The Fly Who Flew to Space.

As for Bowe, she's packing a historic object.

"Nancy Conrad, who is the wife of Pete Conrad, the third man to walk on the moon, is a mentor and inspiration to me," she noted to the magazine. "She said, 'Your journey parallels Pete's in so many ways, and so I want you to carry this flag.' And thanks to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, I actually have the Apollo 12 flag, and that’s going to fly with me."

Bowe added she's also bringing plant samples from Winston-Salem State University's Astrobotany Lab as well as conch chowder that's been dehydrated for the mission as a nod to The Bahamas.

Nguyen is packing personal items as well.

"My mother’s shells from the island she’s a refugee from," she told ELLE, "and then the other thing is a promise that I made to myself [after my assault]. After I left the hospital, I wrote down, 'Never ever give up,' and I taped it to my laptop. I looked at it every day when I was graduating and when I was fighting for my rights—and I will be looking at it for the flight."

According to her Instagram, Nguyen is also bringing the pen former president Barack Obama used to sign the Sexual Assault Survivors' Act, the Nguyen dynasty coin and Freetown cotton tree seeds.

JC Olivera/Getty Images

What Have Other Stars Said About Blue Origin's NS-31 Mission?

Some stars have sent uplifting words to the crew—with King getting a send-off video from CBS Mornings featuring Tom Hanks, Megan Rapinoe, Bill Nye, Drew Barrymore and more.

"Best of luck," the Charlie's Angels actress said, "and I can't wait to pick your brain as soon as you get home."

Others, like Olivia Munn, have expressed criticism.

"What are they doing? Like why?" she said on Today with Jenna & Friends April 3. "I know this is probably not the cool thing to say, but there are so many other things that are so important in the world right now."

The X-Men: Apocalypse actress then brought up the topic of cost.

"I know this is probably obnoxious," she continued, "but like it’s so much money to go to space, and there’s a lot of people who can’t even afford eggs."

And Olivia questioned what the mission was achieving.

"What’s the point?" she added. "Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s a bit gluttonous."

King also understands the criticism surrounding billionaire Bezos and the stance some have that this mission is just an ad for him and Blue Origin.

"Listen, it is troubling to me, too," she told CBS Mornings April 11. "There have been some questions and decisions that he’s made that I’ve actually gone, ‘Huh?’ But I think in this particular case, this is so much bigger than one man and one company. I’ve chosen to separate the two. It’s not a zero-sum game. You can do this on one hand and this on the other hand, and both things can be true."

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