Katy Perry is going to space today: here’s everything you need to know about the Blue Origin Spaceflight

You know Katy Perry. She kissed a girl, rode a dark horse, roared, and now – she’s blasting off into space. That’s right, on April 14 at 8:30 a.m. local time (9:30 a.m. ET), the chart-topping singer is expected to leave Earth behind aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket for an 11-minute trip to the Kármán line, the official boundary of space. She’s literally going to be in a position to see fireworks from above!

Women only in space with Katy Perry

But Perry isn’t just chasing zero gravity vibes or Instagram likes. She’s part of a six-woman crew – the first all-female spaceflight team since 1963 – on a Blue Origin mission dubbed NS-31. And while the mission’s duration is shorter than some Got Talent auditions, its significance and symbolism are potentially heavier than the G-forces they’ll experience on the way up.

Here’s a run down of the main things to know about the mission...

Who’s flying with Katy Perry?

Alongside Perry, the NS-31 crew includes Gayle King, Kerianne Flynn, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Lauren Sánchez (fiancée of Jeff Bezos).

Bowe and Nguyen will each mark a milestone: as the first person of Bahamian descent in space, and the first Vietnamese woman, respectively. Their reasons for flying range from overcoming fear to honoring lost dreams to inspiring daughters.

What is New Shepard and how does the flight work?

New Shepard is a fully autonomous, reusable suborbital rocket. It launches straight up from West Texas, crosses the 62-mile Kármán line into space, and gives passengers a few minutes of weightlessness before parachuting back to Earth.

And as I said above, the whole ride lasts around 11 minutes, less than a Perry concert encore.

Why is Katy Perry going to space?

Perry says she’s long been fascinated by space, and this trip lets her combine that passion with advocacy for STEM education and gender equality. She’s also doing it to show her daughter that dreams – no matter how big – are worth chasing. Other crew members have also trained extensively, from fighter jet simulations to zero-gravity flights, to be physically and mentally ready.

What personal items are the crew taking?

Some of the items being taken may end up floating around but carry emotional weight. King has family photos. Sánchez is packing a character from her kids’ book. Nguyen is taking a Vietnamese dynasty coin, a pen used by Obama to sign a bill she helped draft, and a note that got her through recovery after an assault.

Bowe has said she is bringing a flag from Apollo 12 and dehydrated conch chowder to honor her Bahamian heritage.

How much does a Blue Origin seat cost?

Blue Origin doesn’t list prices publicly. But reports suggest a $150,000 deposit is required. One ticket in 2021 sold for $28 million. Space may be open to more people than ever - but it’s still a club for the very, very wealthy. Want to give it a go?

All I want to know now is if Katy is going to try and belt out one of her songs while she’s up there. If only she had a track that would be appropriate...

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