Singer Katy Perry, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, and Jeff Bezos’ fiancé Lauren Sanchez will blast off into space on a Blue Origin rocket as part of an all-female passenger crew, the company announced this week.
Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight as part of its New Shepard program, as well as the 31st in its history, is set to launch this spring, the company said in a Thursday announcement.
“This is the first all-female flight crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963,” Blue Origin noted.
In addition to Perry, King, and Sanchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, and nonprofit leader Kerianne Flynn will also be on the rocket.
Blue Origin also noted that it was Sanchez “who brought the mission together” to launch on the New Shepard rocket.
“She is honored to lead a team of explorers on a mission that will challenge their perspectives of Earth, empower them to share their own stories, and create lasting impact that will inspire generations to come,” the company said.
A specific date for the six-person, all-female Blue Origin rocket launch has yet to be revealed.
Breitbart News reported earlier this month that Blue Origin is cutting 10 percent of its workforce:
The Seattle Times reports that Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp informed employees of the impending layoffs via email, citing the need to reduce bureaucracy and sharpen the company’s focus. The 10 percent cut, which will impact over 1,000 workers across engineering, research and development, and management roles, are part of a broader strategy to scale up manufacturing output and launch frequency.
The announcement caught many employees off guard, with some expressing concerns about the loss of institutional knowledge and the ability to meet ambitious goals with a reduced workforce. Blue Origin, which employs between 11,000 and 14,000 people, including more than 4,000 in Washington state, did not provide a breakdown of how the layoffs would affect its various locations.
Breitbart News will continue to report on Blue Origin.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
