Katy Perry successfully launched into space with all-female crew
The likes of Katy Perry, along with five other women, have just been launched into space on Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space tourism rocket today (14 April).
The all-female crew made the journey on the New Shepard rocket, which is a fully autonomous vehicle, with no specialised roles for the crew, with Blue Origin saying: "Every person on board is a crew member - there are no pilots."
Blue Origin also said that the last all-female spaceflight was over 60 years ago when Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space on a solo mission aboard the spacecraft Vostok 6.
The flight lasts around 11 minutes and takes the crew more than 100km (62 miles) above Earth as they cross the internationally recognised boundary of space - giving the six crew members a few moments of weightlessness.
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But who's actually on board?
Lauren Sánchez
Lauren Sánchez, 55, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and fiancée to Bezos, brought the crew together and has said she's 'beyond excited' about the upcoming space mission which will mark the 11th human flight for the Bezos-owned rocket company’s New Shepard program.
"I really see this group as explorers, and storytellers, each of us about to be changed by a remarkable view of our beautiful planet. The countdown starts now! #takingupspace," Sánchez wrote on Instagram to celebrate the announcement.
In a separate comment about the upcoming mission, she added: "This flight will undoubtedly prove to be a life-changing experience for each of us, and I’m honoured to be with such an incredible group of explorers.
"Most importantly, I am looking forward to all the women in this crew sharing their story and inspiring future generations to dream big."
Katy Perry
Second on the rundown, as we know, is none other than 40-year-old 'Firework' singer and former American Idol judge Katy Perry, who previously said of being selected for the flight: "If you had told me that I would be part of the first ever all-female crew in space, I would have believed you.
"Nothing was beyond my imagination as a child."
Aisha Bowe
Aisha Bowe, 38, is a NASA rocket scientist - so she's someone who it would be pretty handy to have when flying into the great cosmos.
She said when asked about the flight: "Every step of my journey, from community college to NASA, entrepreneurship, and now space, has been about showing that no dream is out of reach.
"Flying alongside these remarkable women, we are expanding the art of the possible."
Amanda Nguyen
Amanda Nguyen, 33, a Harvard-graduated bioastronautics research scientist who has conducted research at Harvard Center for Astrophysics, MIT, NASA, and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences, will also be on board.
"As the first Vietnamese woman to go to space, I'm flying for Vietnamese girls to see themselves in the stars," she said.
Gayle King
Next on the list is journalist, co-host of CBS Mornings and SiriusXM radio host Gayle King, 70, who commented: "To take on a new adventure at this point of my life is exciting to me, especially with this group of fantastic women."
Kerianne Flynn
And last but by no means least on the rundown is decorated film producer Kerianne Flynn, who has spent the last decade focused on non-profit work.
"Hopefully, myself and other future astronauts can use this experience to motivate the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators about the importance of taking care of our planet and living on it as one human race," she said.
Topics: Space, US News, Celebrity, Katy Perry, Nasa, Science, Technology
Rhiannon Ingle