Pilots and pop stars riding a rocket together is not a common occurrence. But that is exactly what will happen in the Texas skies on April 14, 2025.
NS-31, Blue Origin's upcoming mission, will send an all-female crew to space. Since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became history aboard Vostok 6 in 1963, this will be the first launch of its kind.
The New Shepard spacecraft will launch from West Texas with the six women on board. They will fly over the Kármán line, the generally accepted boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space, on their nearly 11-minute suborbital flight.
Engineers, journalists, and pop stars on board
Music icon and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Katy Perry is the headlining story. She is accompanied by pilot Lauren Sanchez, documentarian Kerianne Flynn, civil rights leader Amanda Nguyen, NASA aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, and CBS reporter Gayle King.
All of the women on the mission have an individual background and story to tell. As stated by Blue Origin, the aim is to inspire young people and show more diversity in space flight.
Perry shared her dreams in an attempt to motivate her daughter and other young contenders. The first Vietnamese female in space will be Amanda Nguyen, who is Vietnamese-American. She hopes to bring science to the forefront as a nonviolent force for change.
Symbolic exploration of environmental issues
The BE-3PM engine of the New Shepard takes the capsule 100 kilometers before it detaches for landing. The astronauts will view Earth with panoramic windows and experience weightlessness during travel.
Though lots of commendations have been heaped on the mission, there have been criticisms as well. The expense and environmental cost of these flights have been criticized.
But, Blue Origin says, its priority is innovation, diversity, and increasing access to space. Women are being emphasized by the expedition, another leap in the pursuit of private space.
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