Six women are scheduled Monday to take the first all-female flight into space since 1963.
Members of the high-profile group — recording artist Katy Perry, journalists Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez, former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and movie producer Kerianne Flynn — have been in West Texas for a few days for training and getting fitted for space suits.
Blue Origin, the rocket company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced the trip earlier this year.
Although the flight has received wide attention for the gender of its crew, the first all-female journey beyond the atmosphere was accomplished by Soviet-era cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, in a 1963 solo mission.
All participants in this week’s flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepherd capsule expressed excitement for the opportunity.
“I am feeling so grateful and grounded and honored to be invited and included with this incredible group of women,” Perry told The Associated Press last week.
