Six Notable Women Are Headed to Space and They’re Redefining What Power Looks Like

Amanda Nguyen, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, and Kerianne Flynn posing for Elle - Credit: Celeste Sloman

Sierra Pope | Multimedia News Intern

3-minute Read

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – From global stages to the stars above, Blue Origin prepares a historic all-female space crew featuring Amanda Nguyen, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, and Kerianne Flynn. By shattering stereotypes and lifting up a new vision of leadership, the group’s upcoming flight showcases the unstoppable strength of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), while rewriting rules to ignite unlimited possibilities.

Once upon a time, Nguyen was only known for her acts of activism, becoming a part of the e.l.f. Cosmetics digital series, “Show Your(s)e.l.f.; now, individuals recognize Nguyen as a Civil Rights Astronaut, 2022 TIME Woman of the Year, and 2019 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee.

Soon, Nguyen will be the first South Asian woman in space. “My mom and her siblings escaped Vietnam as boat refugees and they used celestial navigation to find freedom,” Nguyen described. “The stars were always deeply meaningful. When I look down at Earth, I will be sobbing.”

Blue Origin, a private space company owned by Lauren Sánchez’s fiancé, billionaire Jeff Bezos, agreed that the flight will be different, but special. 

The entire trip is only expected to last 11 minutes, and the women will be going up in a rocket (New Shepard’s 31st) that flies itself, allowing each of them to enjoy the flight as passengers. Once they reach space, they’ll be able to float around the rocket, experiencing weightlessness and looking out the windows at the universe and Earth below for about four minutes before coming back down.

Gayle King, an American TV personality, told Elle a story pertaining to a conversation with Katy Perry, an American singer-songwriter. “I called Katy,” King stated. “We had been on the phone for 36 minutes, and I’d asked her 50 million questions, until finally she said, ‘Could I just interrupt for a second? Are you aware that our flight is going to be shorter than this freaking phone call?’”

Gayle King posing for Elle - Credit: Celeste Sloman

People have expressed fearful concerns regarding travel online; however, Perry is not fazed by outside commentary. “I don’t have any time to be nervous; I ain’t got time to be worried,” Perry said. “I’m going to feel something when they go, ‘10, 9, 8, 7,…’ but until then, we’ve got stuff to do. We’ve got business to handle.

Katy Perry posing for Elle - Credit: Celeste Sloman

Sánchez, the woman who led the mission, chose Nguyen, Perry, King, Aisha Bowe, and Kerianne Flynn because of their ability to inspire others. “All of these women are storytellers in their own right,” Sánchez vocalized. “They’re going to go up to space and be able to spread what they felt in different ways.”

Lauren Sánchez posing for Elle - Credit: Celeste Sloman

On April 14, 2025, the fierce six will rise from West Texas, making space for generational hope. The ladies are certainly proving themselves to be visionaries and barrier-breakers, fully demonstrating that they are more than just beauty and titles. With power, they will make history, reminding the world that womankind was always destined to soar–to infinity and beyond.