At 15h30 this afternoon, Blue Origin’s 11th human flight, NS-31, will lift off with an all-female crew – the first in almost 60 years.
The launch window opens today at 15h30 South African time (08h30 CDT).
The mission includes Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez.
Aisha Bowe is a former NASA rocket scientist, entrepreneur, and global STEM advocate. She is the CEO of STEMBoard, an engineering firm twice named to the Inc 5000 list, and founder of Lingo, an edtech company aiming to equip one million students with essential tech skills.
Her path – from community college to space – reflects a commitment to expanding access to STEM education and empowering the future generations to dream big.
This trip will mark Bowe as the first person of Bahamian descent to visit space.
Aboard Blue Origin, she will carry postcards from students around the world and conduct three research experiments, including studies on plant biology and human physiology.
Amanda Nguyễn is a bioastronautics research scientist. She graduated from Harvard, and conducted research at Harvard Center for Astrophysics, MIT, NASA and International Institute for Astronautical Sciences.
Nguyễn worked on the last NASA shuttle mission, STS-135, and the Kepler exoplanet mission.
For her advocacy for sexual violence survivors, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and awarded TIME’s Woman of the Year.
As the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman astronaut, Nguyễn’s flight is a symbol of reconciliation between the US and Vietnam, and will highlight science as a tool for peace.
Gayle King is an award-winning journalist, co-host of CBS Mornings, editor-at-large of Oprah Daily, and the host of Gayle King in the House on SiriusXM radio.
In a career spanning decades, King has been recognized as a gifted, compassionate interviewer able to break through the noise and create meaningful conversations.
As someone who is staying open to new adventures, even ones that scare her, King is looking forward to stepping out of her comfort zone.
Katy Perry is the biggest-selling female artist in Capitol Records’ history and one of the best-selling music artists of all time with over 115-billion streams.
Aside from being a global pop superstar, Perry is an active advocate of many philanthropic causes, including as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador where she uses her powerful voice to ensure every child’s right to health, education, equality, and protection, and her own Firework Foundation, which empowers children from underserved communities by igniting their inner light through the arts.
Perry hopes her journey encourages her daughter and others to reach for the stars, literally and figuratively.
After a successful career in fashion and human resources, Kerianne Flynn has spent the last decade channeling her energy into community-building through board service and nonprofit work with The Allen-Stevenson School, The High Line and Hudson River Park.
Passionate about the transformative power of storytelling, Flynn has produced thought-provoking films such as This Changes Everything (2018), which explores the history of women in Hollywood, and LILLY (2024), a powerful tribute to fair-pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter.
Flynn has always been drawn to exploration, adventure, and space, and hopes her Blue Origin space flight serves as an inspiration for her son, Dex, and the next generation of dreamers to reach for the stars.
Lauren Sánchez is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, New York Times bestselling author, pilot, Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, and mother of three.
In 2016, Sánchez, a licensed helicopter pilot, founded Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned and operated aerial film and production company. Sánchez released her New York Times bestselling debut children’s book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, in 2024.
Her work in aviation earned her the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award in 2024 for her expertise as a helicopter pilot and aviation businesswoman. Sánchez’s goal is to inspire the next generation of explorers.