Space Industry News: Historic 31st Mission of Blue Origin

How many successful launches has Blue Origin had? The answer is 31, with the 11th human flight lifting off on Monday, April 14th, from the company’s launch site in West Texas. The suborbital historic trip included a carefully selected all-female crew. With this, the company was looking to draw the world’s attention to the trip, having been more than 60 years since Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, achieved the feat.

In this Blue Origin mission, the spacecraft travelled past the 62-mile mark, also known as the Kármán line, giving the crew the feeling of weightlessness and great views of Earth from space. This space industry news article sheds light on the trip, including revealing more on the 6 all-female crew propelled to space by the Blue Origin rocket.

The Blue Origin NS-31 Crew

The all-female crew on board included women who have had an impact on their various career fields. To answer questions like Why did Katy Perry and Gayle King get to go to space? Or who went to space with Katy Perry? Let’s have a look at each of the Blue Origin crew members.

• Katy Perry. Arguably the most known of the crew members. She is a pop star with more than 140 million copies of her albums sold worldwide. She is also a former “American Idol” host and a mum to a daughter she named Daisy.
• Gayle King. King is a renowned journalist and the host of the popular “CBS Mornings” show. She has never shied away from expressing her fear of flying and admits the Blue Origin mission experience really pushed her out of her comfort zone.
•  Aisha Bowe. Bowe is a former NASA rocket scientist and holds two degrees in aerospace engineering and systems engineering. She is also an entrepreneur and a STEM global advocate.
• Amanda Nguyen. Amanda is a Vietnamese research scientist in the field of bioastronautics. She has conducted research at Harvard, MIT, and NASA. She is a survivor of sexual assault and is now an advocate of women’s rights.
• Kerrianne Flynn. Flynn is a filmmaker with a decorated past in fashion and human resources. Her thought-provoking films like “This Changes Everything”(2018) and “LILLY” (2024) won her international accolades and definitely got her a place on the Blue Origin 11th human mission. She has also worked for a long time in the NGO world.
• Lauren Sànchez. Lauren is the fiancée of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. She is credited with playing a big part in making the trip a success and is the one who invited the crew members to take part in the historic trip. She is also an author and businesswoman.

What the Crew Had to Say About the Trip

After touchdown, the Blue Origin all-female crew members were ecstatic and had a lot to say concerning the short, albeit eventful and unforgettable, trip. Below are some of their reactions.

Lauren Sànchez

Lauren, in seat 01, was amazed at how quiet and peaceful the Earth looked from space. She believes the Blue Origin trip experience brought the crew together in ways they may have never experienced before.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry, who was in seat 02, commented that the experience was “the highest high.” She opined that the whole experience, and not just the ascent and descent, will forever live in her memory. She carried a daisy flower as one of the items she took to space, which she held high as she exited the Blue Origin capsule after touchdown.

Amanda Nguyen

Amanda, who was in seat 03, dedicated the trip to all victims of sexual assault. She encouraged each of them to follow their dreams, no matter how wild they were, since they couldn’t be as wild as going to space.

Aisha Bowe

Aisha was in seat 04 and believes that after the Blue Origin trip, she will never be the same again. The expanse of the Earth as seen from space was just too beautiful and made her realise she had chosen the right career.

Gayle King

Gayle King, in seat 05, remembered how quiet and peaceful it was. She also loved Earth’s view from space and saw it as a reminder of how human beings should be better and do better. She also believes the Blue Origin mission experience created a bond among the crew that will last forever.

Kerrianne Flynn

Flynn, who was on seat 06, was lost for words and saw the vast darkness and the moon from space as the most incredible experience in her life.

What is the history of Blue Origin? Has it had more such successful launches? These questions can be answered by looking at the successful launches that have taken more than 50 people, with 4 going twice on the trip. Given the descriptions of how beautiful the Earth looks from space and the enormous vastness of the darkness, would you go on this Blue Origin trip if given a chance?

Author: Emma Thorpe