Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez and Gayle King to fly to space with Blue Origin in first all-woman mission since 1963

Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos is sending his wife Lauren Sanchez to space in a historic all-female mission - and one A-lister is set to join her.

Pop superstar Katy Perry and former news anchor Lauren Sanchez are among the celebrities set to fly to space on the first all-women crew since 1963.

Perry and Sanchez, who will also be joined by CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King, will blast off into space on board the Blue Origin this spring.

The Blue Origin rocket company, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced the all-female crew on Thursday but did not specify a date.

Sanchez, Bezos’ fiancee, “brought the crew together” for the “empowering mission”.

Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos owns the Blue Origin rocket company and has enlisted the help of his fiancee Lauren Sanchez to orchestrate the mission. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Katy Perry is among those selected for the all-female mission since 1963. Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Renowned journalist Gayle King will also be on-board. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

“(Sanchez) is honoured to lead a team of explorers on a mission that will challenge their perspectives of Earth, empower them to share their own stories, and create lasting impact that will inspire generations to come,” the rocket company said in a statement.

King, who announced the news on This Morning on Thursday, described the feeling of flying to space “terrifying and exciting”.

The trio will be joined by former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

“I don’t know how to explain being terrified and excited at the same time,” King said.

“It’s like how I felt about to deliver a baby.”

King, who celebrated her 70th birthday last December, added, “I thought I wanted to open myself up to new adventures and step out of my comfort zone.”

The launch of Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket carrying Jeff Bezos and his crew into space in July 2021. Picture: Blue Origin for Martin George for The Mercury

Perry, Sanchez and King will be accompanied by film producer Kerianne Flynn, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.

The space mission will mark the 11th human flight for Blue Origin’s New Shepard program.

King said she consulted with her children and longtime friend, Oprah Winfrey, before committing to the space mission.

“Once Kirby and Will and Oprah was fine with it, I was fine,” King said.

“I thought Oprah would say, no, no. She said, ‘I think if you don’t do it, when they all come back and you had the opportunity to do it, you will be kicking yourself.’ She’s right.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez and Gayle King to fly to space with Blue Origin in first all-woman mission since 1963