Jeff Bezos conveyed his parting messages to his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, along with the entire female team, as they prepared for their groundbreaking journey.
On April 14, the founder of Blue Origin was present as Lauren, Gayle King, Katy Perry, ex-NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, activist Amanda Nguyen, and producer Kerianne Flynn gathered before embarking on a space journey for the NS-31 mission. This historic flight took place aboard the New Shepard rocket.
Jeff accompanied Lauren, whom he became engaged to in 2023, along with the other ladies, into the capsule twenty minutes prior to takeoff. Before closing the doors, he embraced his fiancée and exchanged a last message before departing, allowing the six women to write history as the first all-female flight since 1963.
In a spirit of great excitement, Jeff Bezos, aged 61, exclaimed about an upcoming journey as being “truly extraordinary and deeply meaningful.” He added, “I can hardly contain my enthusiasm; I’d rather stay aboard than disembark. I want to embark on this adventure with you.
He went on, expressing, ‘I’m eager to learn about your transformation upon returning. I hold a deep affection for each of you. Safe travels.’
Jeff was accompanied by a variety of supportive figures, such as Oprah Winfrey, Gayle’s close friend, Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry’s fiancé, along with Kris Jenner and Khloe Kardashian. These individuals were physically present at the launch site in West Texas to personally observe the mission.
Regarding their mission, these women ventured upwards in just over 10 minutes and 11 seconds, reaching the Kármán Line – a boundary located approximately 62 miles above Earth that divides our atmosphere from outer space.
Following the successful completion of the mission, the freshly-minted astronauts returned to earth, and it was Jeff who was the initial one to open the capsule and welcome the ladies. Lauren was the first to disembark, leaping into her fiancé’s arms for a kiss before hastily searching for her children.
After returning to solid ground, the journalist jokingly remarked that her impending wedding with Jeff in the near future left her no other option but to come back.
Lauren informed Blue Origin at the launch site in West Texas on April 14th, ‘I needed to return as we’re getting married. It would be unfortunate if I didn’t make it back.’
Here’s everything to know about the Blue Origin launch…
Established in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, Blue Origin is a privately-owned space exploration corporation situated in Kent, Washington. As stated on their official website, their mission is to harness the resources of space for Earth’s benefit while expanding human presence beyond our planet through enhanced transportation and creation of habitable destinations in low Earth orbit.
Blue Origin strives to achieve these objectives by developing reusable rockets and engines to decrease the expense of space travel, making it more affordable for civilians and fostering sustainability. In a 2016 talk at the Pathfinder Awards, Bezos expressed their vision as “millions of people living and working in space.” They aim to significantly lower the cost of space travel by focusing on reusability.
As for booking a seat on a Blue Origin flight, while they do not publicly list prices on their website, a $150,000 deposit is required.
Named after renowned astronaut Alan Shepard, who made history as the first American in space in 1961, Blue Origin refers to New Shepard as a “completely reusable, autonomous suborbital rocket system designed for human travel.”
New Shepard’s pressurized crew capsule can accommodate six individuals. However, unlike traditional rockets, there is no pilot seat since the vehicle operates autonomously without any pilots on board, as stated on Blue Origin’s website.
The New Shepard first took flight in 2015 during a test program consisting of 16 successful tests, which were completed in 2021. In July of that year, the founder of Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos, along with his brother Mark and an anonymous auction winner who paid $28 million for their seat, embarked on New Shepard’s inaugural human flight. Later that year, famous figures such as William Shatner and Michael Strahan also boarded the vehicle (on separate missions).
The upcoming mission will be New Shepard’s 31st overall and its 11th carrying humans (hence the name NS-31).
The upcoming NS-31 mission of New Shepard is scheduled to take off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One, nestled within the Guadalupe Mountain range in the West Texas desert. As per the company’s website, the launch window opens at 8:30 a.m., Central Daylight Time, on April 14th.
According to Blue Origin’s website, the astronauts onboard New Shepard rocket ascend faster than three times the speed of sound. They surpass the Kármán line, a universally acknowledged space boundary at 62 miles (or 100 km) above Earth. Once they reach this height, they unfasten their seatbelts to experience weightlessness and admire our planet. The journey concludes as the crew descends softly under parachutes, with the entire trip lasting approximately 11 minutes.
For the NS-31 mission team, we have a diverse group consisting of singer Katy Perry, CBS Mornings host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, STEMBoard founder Aisha Bowe (former NASA rocket scientist), bioastronautics researcher and activist Amanda Nguyen, and former TV anchor Lauren Sánchez. Interestingly enough, this crew marks the first all-female spaceflight team since 1963, when Valentina Tereshkova of the Soviet Union embarked on a solo mission, making her the first woman to travel to space.
Notably, Amanda Nguyen will make history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, while Aisha Bowe is set to become the first person of Bahamian heritage to venture where only a select few have gone before.
Each individual on the team has their unique motivations for joining this expedition. For instance, Perry aims to instill in her daughter Daisy, whom she shares with fiancé Orlando Bloom, the notion that one should never set boundaries on dreams. She wants to demonstrate that anyone, regardless of their background, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or educational level, can achieve their dreams.
King, who has openly discussed her apprehensions, aspires to motivate people to venture beyond their comfort zones. She shared with the magazine that once she takes this step, it will pave the way for numerous others who might have hesitated but now feel inspired and eager to participate.
Nguyen, on the other hand, sees this opportunity as a chance to realize a long-held dream. Having worked at NASA and studied astrophysics at Harvard and MIT, life’s challenges derailed her from pursuing astronomy. Gender-based violence was one such obstacle that caused many women in STEM fields to abandon their education. Nguyen traded her telescope to fight for the rights of sexual assault survivors, drafting the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights and getting it passed in Congress and the United Nations. After a decade of advocacy, she is now ready to honor the person she was before she was hurt by fulfilling this dream deferred.
As reported by Good Morning America, each team member is scheduled to travel to the launch site ahead of the mission for a series of preparatory training sessions. These sessions encompass getting properly fitted for their flight suits, familiarizing themselves with the capsule, learning effective communication methods with ground control, and meticulously reviewing safety guidelines.
While the team as a whole had been preparing for the mission, some individuals took it upon themselves to do additional preparations beforehand. For instance, Bowe ramped up his training, increasing its intensity over the past year. He had recently completed a NASTAR simulation, providing him with a taste of what he might encounter during flight. He also mentioned a scheduled fighter jet flight, expressing his excitement for the experience. Similarly, Flynn underwent several zero-gravity simulation flights. By flying in a parabolic pattern inside a Boeing 747, she was able to familiarize herself with weightlessness, anticipating the sensation during their upcoming mission. Furthermore, she had experienced up to five Gs of pressure through NASTAR training in Philadelphia.
Just a few tidbits about these incredible women!
Queen Danae shared with ELLE that she’ll be bringing along some photos, while Sánchez mentioned she’ll have a cherished plushie of Flynn, the space-faring character from her children’s book, “The Fly Who Flew to Space.”
As for Bowe, she’s planning to bring an artifact with historic significance. Nancy Conrad, wife of the third man to walk on the moon, Pete Conrad, is a guiding force and source of inspiration for me, she shared with the magazine. She said, “Your journey mirrors Pete’s in so many ways, and I want you to carry this flag.” And thanks to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, I am blessed to have the Apollo 12 flag, which will accompany me on my voyage.
Bowe also revealed she’ll be carrying plant samples from Winston-Salem State University’s Astrobotany Lab and some dehydrated conch chowder as a tribute to The Bahamas.
Nguyen is preparing personal items for the trip too. “My mother’s shells from the island she fled from,” she shared with ELLE, “and I’ve also made a promise to myself after my assault. After leaving the hospital, I wrote down, ‘Never ever give up,’ and I taped it to my laptop. I looked at it every day during graduation and as I fought for my rights—and I will be looking at it throughout the mission.”
According to her Instagram, Nguyen is also planning to bring the pen that President Barack Obama used to sign the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Act, a coin from the Nguyen dynasty, and Freetown cotton tree seeds.
Notable figures like Tom Hanks, Megan Rapinoe, Bill Nye, Drew Barrymore, and others have sent encouraging messages to the crew, with Tom Hanks even creating a farewell video for King from CBS Mornings. On the other hand, Olivia Munn has expressed skepticism about the mission, questioning its purpose on Today with Jenna & Friends in early April. She also criticized the cost of the space trip, stating that there are many more pressing issues and people who can’t even afford basic necessities like eggs. Furthermore, she questioned the significance of the mission, suggesting it is unnecessary and even a bit excessive. However, King acknowledges the criticism surrounding Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin but emphasizes that this mission transcends one man and one company, arguing that it’s possible to support both the mission and other causes simultaneously.
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2025-04-14 17:47