Blue Origin is preparing for its 11th human flight aboard New Shepard, scheduled to lift off from Launch Site One in West Texas on Monday, April 14. The mission, designated NS-31, will be the company’s first all-female crewed flight.
The launch window opens at 8:30 a.m. CDT (13:30 UTC).
The NS-31 crew includes six women from diverse backgrounds in science, media, entertainment, and advocacy:
- Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist and STEM entrepreneur
- Amanda Nguyễn, a bioastronautics researcher and Nobel Peace Prize nominee
- Gayle King, CBS Mornings co-host and veteran journalist
- Katy Perry, global pop artist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
- Kerianne Flynn, nonprofit leader and documentary producer
- Lauren Sánchez, Emmy-winning journalist, pilot, and Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund
New Shepard missions take passengers past the Kármán line—the recognized boundary of space—reaching more than 62 miles above Earth. During the brief flight, astronauts experience several minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth under parachutes.
NS-31 will mark another milestone for Blue Origin’s human spaceflight program from its West Texas facility near Van Horn.
Image Credit: Blue Origin
