Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission will send Katy Perry to space, alongside five other female crew members.
The flight will carry the crewmates across the Karman line, an imaginary boundary about 100 kilometres above sea level, which marks the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.
Designed for suborbital flights, the New Shepard spacecraft will take off from Launch Site One in West Texas on April 14 at 7:00 PM IST. A single BE-3PM engine will power the spacecraft, helping it reach an altitude of 40 kilometres. This ascent will last approximately 110 seconds. The rocket and capsule will then leverage the momentum to continue its journey upwards, eventually reaching the Karman line at 100 kilometres.
Once the crew capsule reaches peak altitude, it will separate from the rocket, giving crewmates a chance to experience weightlessness.
After reaching the highest point of the flight, the crew capsule will begin to descend. It will deploy three parachutes to help it slow down during its fall. Before reaching the ground, a retro-thrust will be activated to help reduce the descent speed to about 3.2 kmph.
Meanwhile, the rocket itself will autonomously return and land vertically back at the launch site, using air brakes and a restart of its engine.
This mission marks Blue Origin’s 11th human flight and sends a strong message about representation in space – proving the sky is no longer the limit for women.
