That headline up there? That's real. This isn't some cutesy story about NASA broadcasting "Califonia Gurls" on a probe or whatever. Katy Perry, the famous pop-star human being, is literally going on a mission to space. She'll be on the next launch from Blue Origin, the private space-travel company founded by Jeff Bezos. Today, Blue Origin announced the six-person crew for NS-31, its 11th space flight, and it includes a few celebrities and two scientists. One of the celebrities is Katy Perry, who may have foretold this moment on her song "E.T."
The next Blue Origin flight will apparently take off sometime this spring, though details haven't yet been revealed. The company claims that the mission "will challenge [the crew's] perspectives of Earth, empower them to share their own stories, and create lasting impact that will inspire generations to come." The all-female crew includes Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez, who reportedly "brought the mission together," as well as TV host Gayle King and film producer Kerianne Flynn. Those folks will have to make room for former NASA rocker scientist Aisha Bowe and research scientist and civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen. Also, Katy Perry will be there. According to Blue Origin, "this is the first all-female flight crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963."
This maybe history's most dramatic career pivot after an unsuccessful album. 143 was bad, but was it really "shoot this person into space" bad?
