Katy Perry to join all-female Blue Origin spaceflight: Live updates

“When I made the decision to come, there were only three people whose opinions matters to me the most: favorite daughter Kirby, favorite son Will, and Oprah,” CBS host Gayle King explained in a sit-down interview. “That’s my kitchen cabinet.”

“And, all of them said, ‘I think you should do it’ – much to my surprise,” she noted.

“We’re here to support our girlfriend and our friends,” said Kris Jenner.

“And, we’re just so honored to be here to support them and watch this amazing part of history. And, I’m so proud of her,” she added.

“It’s such a big day in history and it’s so empowering,” said Khloe Kardashian.

Jeff Bezos is the partner of Lauren Sanchez, who is taking the trip, as well as being the founder of Blue Origin and a previous traveller on one of the same journeys. He went into the capsule with the crew this time.

He has just left, after speaking to the crew.

“Most amazing, most profound experience,” he says. “I don’t want to get off, I want to go with you. When you get back, I want to hear how it’s changed you. Godspeed.”

The countdown clock has now ticked past 30 minutes. The crew are loaded into the capsule and final checks – including ensuring that they are safely strapped in with their seatbelts, and that are able to communicate with the ground – are taking place.

Just two hours before the launch Perry told fans on X/Twitter “I LOVE YOU”.

The patch that the six astronauts will wear on Monday feature symbols that represent all five women that will be travelling into space.

According to an Instagram post from Kerianne Flynn, the symbols are as follows:

“The target star symbolizes @aishabowe ‘s ambition for setting big goals, passion for STEM, and commitment to inspiring future generations.

“The scales of justice symbolize @amandangocnguyen ‘s efforts to advocate for civil rights, break barriers, and empower everyday people to create change.

The shooting star microphone represents @gayleking ‘s commitment to sharing important stories with the world.

“The firework symbolizes @katyperry ‘s global influence across music, pop culture, and philanthropy.

“The film reel symbolizes @kerianneflynn ’s passion for filmmaking, storytelling, and crafting beautiful narratives.

“Flynn the Fly, the main character in @laurenwsanchez ’s bestselling children’s book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, is along for the ride. The story is about overcoming adversity, inspiring kids with learning differences to pursue their dreams.”

In about an hour, the crew will be aboard the New Shepard rocket at Blue Origin’s Launch Site One. As the name suggests, that’s the spaceport from which the company launches its missions.

It is in West Texas – about 30 miles north of the town of Van Horn. (You can find it on Google Maps here, and as you can see below it’s a fairly uninhabited part of the world.)

Blue Origin also operates other bases in Washington, Cape Canaveral in Florida and at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

But all of the famous missions that have carried celebrities into space, like this one – sub-orbital flights on board the New Shepard rocket – have gone from that West Texas launchpad.

Speaking to the New York Times about the space suits that she designed, along with Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, Sanchez revealed that she’ll be wearing a pair of Kim Kardashian’s Skims underwear into space.

On the outfits themselves, Sanchez told the NY Times: “Let’s reimagine the flight suit. Usually, you know, these suits are made for a man. Then they get tailored to fit a woman. I think the suits are elegant but they also bring a little spice to space.

“Simplicity was important, and comfort, and fit. But we also wanted something that was a little dangerous, like a motocross outfit. Or a ski suit. Flattering and sexy.”

The webcast of the NS-13 launch is now live on X/Twitter

The film producer has been passionate about space for a long time, even signing up to the 2011 Virgin Galactic spaceflight.

Although that trip has yet to take place, Flynn will now join five others as part of the Blue Origin team’s 11-minute trip into space.

Her work includes independent films and documentaries such as The Automatic Hate (2015), This Changes Everything (2018), and Lilly (2024).

She has served on the board of several non-profit organisations and has worked across the fields of fashion, human resources, and culture.

Speaking to Elle USA, Flynn said: “I grew up in a small town in Michigan, and I always looked up at the stars with my grandfather. He would talk about celestial events and explain the astronomy of the sky. I wondered, ‘What is out there, and what is up there?’ But going through the rest of my life—my career, my education—it just didn’t seem like something that was attainable. So when this opportunity came along, especially to be part of a historic all-female crew, I felt honoured and excited.”