With an all-women crew
Blue Origin celebrated a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight by completing its 31st New Shepard mission, NS-31, to the edge of space on April 14, 2025. Launching from its West Texas site, the mission carried a diverse and high-profile all-women crew, contributing to the growing list of private, well-paying people making their way to the edge of space – just for the thrill of it.
This flight was the 11th human mission for Blue Origin’s reusable New Shepard suborbital rocket and brought six influential women into space: Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez. With this latest launch, Blue Origin has flown 58 people to space, including four repeat flyers, solidifying its position as a key player in space tourism.
The six crew members are technically astronauts, having reached the Kármán line, a boundary 100km above the Earth. The Kármán line is recognised as the division between Earth’s atmosphere and space by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, a Swiss-based governing body responsible for record-keeping.
Each crew member brought a unique background to the flight. Aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe is recognised for her STEM advocacy; civil rights activist Amanda Nguyễn is celebrated for her legislative work; journalist Gayle King continues to shape media narratives; global superstar Katy Perry has long used her platform to influence culture and philanthropy; Kerianne Flynn is an emerging voice in filmmaking; and Lauren Sánchez, a journalist and author, included a nod to her bestselling children’s book with a symbolic character, Flynn the Fly, joining the journey.
Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President of New Shepard, said: “What a privilege to witness this crew of trailblazers depart the capsule today. Each of these women is a storyteller who will use their voices—individually and together—to channel their life-changing experience today into creating a lasting impact that will inspire people across our planet for generations.”
To commemorate the mission, Blue Origin also unveiled the NS-31 mission patch. Each symbol on the patch was designed to reflect the individual stories and aspirations of the crew members—from the shooting star microphone representing Gayle King to the fireworks emblem symbolising Katy Perry’s cultural impact.
Founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2000, Blue Origin is committed to building a future where millions of people live and work in space. The company’s motto, Gradatim Ferociter—Latin for “step by step, ferociously”—underscores its long-term vision of lowering the cost of space travel and enabling sustained human presence beyond Earth.
The New Shepard suborbital rocket, named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space, is designed for crewed and uncrewed missions and has played a critical role in testing and expanding human access to space.
With NS-31, Blue Origin continues to merge space exploration with pop culture and storytelling, creating moments that resonate well beyond the launch pad. As the space race becomes increasingly commercial and inclusive, flights like this highlight private companies’ expanding role in shaping space travel’s future.
Hero image: NS-31 astronauts celebrate at the crew capsule following their flight to the edge of space on April 14, 2025. (L-R) Kerianne Flynn, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Gayle King, Amanda Nguyễn. Credit: Blue Origin
