Key Facts

Why Are Katy Perry And Gayle King Going To Space?

The space mission is the latest flight on Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle, which was created for commercial space flights and is a key figure in the growing, and costly, space tourism industry. In a cover story about the space mission, Perry told Elle she has “wanted to go to space for almost 20 years” and wanted to make space “glam.” She told the Associated Press she has “always been interested in astrophysics and interested in astronomy and astrology and the stars,” adding she wants to “inspire young girls to go, ‘I’ll go to space in the future.’” The crew members told Elle they wanted to set an example for women in space exploration, citing statistics that only about 11% of all people to travel to space have been women.

How Long Is Blue Origin’s Space Mission—and Where Are They Going?

The flight is expected to last just 11 minutes. The spacecraft will take the crew about 62 miles past the Kármán line, which is the internationally recognized boundary of space. The crew will feel several minutes of weightlessness while in space before returning to Earth. There will not be any pilots on board, as the rocket is fully autonomous.

Which Celebrities Has Blue Origin Taken To Space?

Bezos, the world’s second-richest person and the founder of Blue Origin, went to space on a New Shepard flight in July 2021, the spacecraft’s first mission with a crew. Bezos was joined by his brother, Mark Bezos, aviator Wally Funk and then-18-year-old Oliver Daemen. Daemen was selected to join the mission after crypto billionaire Justin Sun won an auction for a whopping $28 million to join the crew, but deferred his flight due to scheduling conflicts. Actor William Shatner flew to space on a New Shepard rocket in October 2021, becoming the oldest person to travel to space, while television host and former NFL player Michael Strahan participated in a New Shepard flight in December 2021.