Blue Origin’s upcoming NS-31 mission is set to make history with an all-female crew, as six women prepare to embark on a 10-minute space flight on April 14. The mission, organized by Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, will take off from Launch Site One in West Texas.
The crew includes remarkable women like pop star Katy Perry, rocket scientist Lauren Sanchez, media personality Gayle King, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and rocket scientist Kerianne Flynn.
The flight, which is part of Blue Origin’s ongoing push to make space more accessible, will last 10 minutes, offering the crew a brief but historic experience above Earth. This mission highlights not only the progress in commercial space tourism but also the breaking of barriers as women continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of space exploration.
The NS-31 Crew
Aisha Bowe
Aisha is a former NASA rocket scientist, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for global STEM education. She serves as the CEO of STEMBoard, an engineering firm that has earned recognition twice on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. Additionally, she founded LINGO, an edtech company aimed at providing one million students with crucial tech skills. With Bahamian roots, Aisha hopes that her remarkable journey from community college to space will inspire young individuals both in the Bahamas and worldwide to follow their aspirations.
Amanda Nguyễn
Amanda is a bioastronautics research scientist with an impressive academic background, having graduated from Harvard. She has conducted research at prestigious institutions such as the Harvard Center for Astrophysics, MIT, NASA, and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. Amanda contributed to NASA’s final shuttle mission, STS-135, and the Kepler exoplanet mission. Recognized for her advocacy work for survivors of sexual violence, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and named TIME’s Woman of the Year. As the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman to become an astronaut, Amanda’s upcoming flight represents a symbol of reconciliation between the United States and Vietnam, while showcasing the role of science as a force for peace.
Gayle King
Gayle is a renowned journalist, co-host of CBS Mornings, editor-at-large for Oprah Daily, and host of Gayle King in the House on SiriusXM radio. With a career that spans several decades, she is celebrated for her skillful, empathetic interviewing, able to cut through the noise and foster impactful conversations. Embracing new challenges, even those that push her boundaries, Gayle is thrilled to join Blue Origin’s inaugural all-female flight crew and is eager to step out of her comfort zone.
Katy Perry
Katy is the best-selling female artist in Capitol Records’ history and one of the top-selling music artists of all time, with over 115 billion streams. In addition to her status as a global pop icon, Katy is deeply involved in numerous charitable causes. As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she advocates for children’s rights to health, education, equality, and protection. She also founded the Firework Foundation, which empowers children from underserved communities by nurturing their creativity through the arts. Katy is proud to be part of Blue Origin’s inaugural all-female crew and hopes her space journey will inspire her daughter and others to aim for the stars, both literally and metaphorically.
Kerianne Flynn
After a successful career in fashion and human resources, Kerianne Flynn has dedicated the last ten years to community-building through her work with various boards and nonprofit organizations, including The Allen-Stevenson School, The High Line, and Hudson River Park. A passionate advocate for the power of storytelling, Kerianne has produced impactful films such as This Changes Everything (2018), which examines the history of women in Hollywood, and LILLY (2024), a tribute to fair-pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter. Driven by a love for exploration and adventure, Kerianne has always been captivated by space, and she hopes her upcoming Blue Origin flight will inspire her son, Dex, and future generations to pursue their dreams and reach for the stars.
Lauren Sánchez
Lauren is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, New York Times bestselling author, pilot, and Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, as well as a mother of three. In 2016, she founded Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned and operated aerial film and production company. In 2024, Sánchez released her debut children’s book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, which became a New York Times bestseller. Her accomplishments in aviation were recognized with the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award in 2024, honoring her expertise as a helicopter pilot and aviation business leader. Sánchez aims to inspire the next generation of explorers through her work.
(Images sourced from Instagram/ Info from Blue Origin)
