As the desert sun breaks over Launch Site One of Blue Origin, a gleaming New Shepard rocket awaits to make history. On board, six women, including journalist and mission command leader Lauren Sánchez, will soon buckle up for an 11-minute suborbital flight that’ll usher in a new era of space exploration.
It is not just an escape—it’s an event many decades in the process.
It is the first time since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s historic solo journey in 1963 that an all-female crew will make it to space. Dubbed NS-31, the mission will break through to the sky and traverse the Kármán line—62 miles in the air—and usher in a new era of science, culture, and representation.
NS-31 is an all-star, highly intentional mission. Lauren Sánchez, a veteran journalist, pilot, and fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, captains this team. She is joined by an inspirational cohort of pioneers: Grammy-winning pop star Katy Perry, CBS anchor Gayle King, civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize candidate Amanda Nguyen, former NASA rocket scientist and aerospace executive Aisha Bowe, and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn.
And it’s all happening live, with the world watching.
Every woman comes with her own heritage—but collectively, they’re starting something greater: visibility, diversity, and hope for an entire new generation of dreamers.
“They represent everything that spaceflight is supposed to be in 2025: bold, diverse, and inspiring,”
Sánchez stated in a pre-launch interview.
“We hope that girls all over the world can envision themselves in us.”
True to character, Sánchez didn’t only head up the mission—but refashioned it, literally. With Oscar de la Renta’s Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim (also founder of fashion brand Monse), together she co-created brand-new flight suits specifically designed for women.
The outcome? Breathtaking dark-blue attire that’s high-tech and high-fashion, with customized patches, flared pant legs, and a white feather design in tribute to Blue Origin’s logo. Designed for functionality with flame-resistant stretch neoprene, each suit fits gracefully for ultimate comfort.
As Gayle King so eloquently stated:
“It’s professional and feminine—and honestly, it just makes you feel powerful.”
In addition to cultural appeal, NS-31 is scientifically legitimate. On board, there will be a student-developed science project built in collaboration with Teachers in Space. It will measure such things as sound, acceleration, and pressure, gaining firsthand exposure to space science for the students.
There is also a focus on gathering biomedical data from women of color, a population long underrepresented in space exploration. Amanda Nguyen, whose science work has an advocacy aspect, finds it critical.
she stated.
“Representation is not just about who flies in space, but whose bodies we are studying up there,”
The mission has drawn worldwide interest not only for glitz and spectacle, but also for what it could mean in terms of changing who will be able to go to space.
It is hailed by supporters as a milestone for gender equality in STEM.
“I’m so looking forward to my daughter seeing this,”
read one post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Six strong women reaching for stars. Literally.”
Not everyone is applauding. Critics have called it a “celebrity stunt,” doubted its science, and made fun of the crew’s celebrity names. Some jokingly wondered about zero-gravity effects on Botox. Others wondered if space tourism was reserved only for citizens from all walks of life, not just for elites.
