Six passengers will embark on a space mission aboard a Blue Origin rocket on Monday morning, April 14. The crew includes Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez. They will be launched aboard the New Shepard rocket, a 59-foot-tall suborbital spacecraft, which is set to take them to the Kármán Line — the boundary of space.
The rocket will lift off from Launch Site One at Corn Ranch, located in rural West Texas, over 140 miles east of El Paso. This site has been the launch location for all previous Blue Origin missions.
What Time is the Launch and How Long Will the Mission Last?
The launch is scheduled for 9:30 am ET on April 14. The mission is expected to last around 10 minutes. Although the spacecraft won’t reach orbit, it will soar past the Kármán Line, giving the passengers a brief experience of space. According to NBC’s Priscilla Thompson, the ride will last about 11 minutes, with around four minutes of weightlessness for the crew.
For those wishing to watch the launch, Blue Origin will provide a live stream on YouTube starting at 8 am ET, as well as a stream on their website. The launch will also be broadcast on CBS and available for live streaming on Paramount+.
A Historic All-Female Crew
This mission marks a significant milestone as it will be the first spaceflight with an all-female crew since 1963. That year, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel to space. Blue Origin celebrates this mission as a notable step in the advancement of women in space exploration.
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Blue Origin has completed 30 missions to date, with 10 of those carrying a total of 52 people to the edge of space. The company’s first crewed flight, NS-16, took place in 2021 with Jeff Bezos aboard, following 15 successful test flights.
