New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Katy Perry is gearing up for takeoff - and she's giving her fans an exclusive preview before heading to space.
On Monday morning (April 14), the global pop icon will join Blue Origin's NS-31 mission, taking part in the company's 11th human spaceflight. Notably, the crew consists entirely of women - a historic first for the space tourism firm.
Ahead of the launch, Perry took to Instagram to share a glimpse inside the spacecraft, wearing her flight suit alongside the other five members of the crew. "I think I'm going to sing up there," she says in the video. "I mean, how could I not sing in space?" With a smile, she introduces her co-travelers as her "astronaut girly friends" while they go through final simulation drills.
Joining her are journalist
Lauren Sánchez, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, human rights advocate
Amanda Nguyen, producer and entrepreneur Kerianne Flynn, and CBS Mornings anchor
Gayle King. The team has been training at Blue Origin's West
Texas base in preparation for liftoff at 7 a.m. CT.
This flight marks the first time since Valentina Tereshkova's solo mission in 1963 that a crewed mission will include only women.
Earlier this week, Perry opened up about the deeply personal signs she's experienced while preparing for the mission. She described feeling spiritually aligned with the experience, citing small details that felt like messages from the universe. "When I first saw the capsule, I noticed a feather design on the front," she said, noting it felt meaningful because "
Feather" is a nickname her mother has always used for her. "Then I found out the capsule is named 'Tortoise' — another nickname my mom gave me. It just felt cosmic."
"There's no such thing as coincidence," she added, expressing gratitude for the signs she's received and her belief that something greater is guiding her journey.
Perry has embraced both the deeper symbolism and the style of space travel, humorously commenting on Instagram, "There will be lash extensions flying - mine are secure though!" She added, "Space is about to get glamorous."
Sánchez chimed in with her own playful remark: "We're putting the 'ass' in astronaut."
Beyond the adventure, Perry is passionate about what the mission represents, especially for young girls. "More than ever, I want to set an example for my daughter - that women belong in space, in every sense of the word," she wrote online.
Following the brief space journey, which includes approximately four minutes of weightlessness, Perry will return to Earth and prepare to launch her 'Lifetimes Tour' on April 23 in Mexico City, in support of her new album '143'.
The launch will be broadcast live on CBS, starting at 7 a.m. ET, followed by a "Gayle Goes to Space" special at 9 a.m. ET. Paramount+ will also stream the entire mission.
