NEW YORK, April 3: The countdown has begun for an all-female crew, led by singer Katy Perry, to embark on a historic mission to space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.

On April 14, Perry will be joined by journalist Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist and civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, and journalist and helicopter pilot Lauren Sánchez, who is engaged to Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos. This mission will mark the 11th manned spaceflight for New Shepard and the first all-female spaceflight crew since 1963, according to Blue Origin.

The flight, lasting just around 11 minutes, will reach a height of approximately 65 miles above Earth. While the Kármán line, which is regarded as the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space, is 62 miles, the crew will not enter orbit.

As the launch approaches, the crew members have shared how they are preparing for the mission. In their first joint interview, King revealed to ELLE that she is learning to meditate to help alleviate her anxiety. “I’m starting to meditate. I tried it years ago, but one of these women said, 'I have the perfect person for you.' So he’s coming to my house. I have some sessions planned before we go up just to help me with [my anxiety],” King said.

Bowe discussed the increased intensity of her preparations in the final countdown, saying, “I just completed a NASTAR simulation, where I had the opportunity to actually experience what I can expect to encounter on the flight. For me, the physical preparation is really important. I want to have my body know what it feels like to go up. We’ve got a fighter jet flight booked, and I’m really excited about that.”

Flynn shared that she is using zero-gravity simulation flights to get accustomed to weightlessness. "I’ve done several zero-gravity simulation flights. They carve out a Boeing 747 and fly the plane in a parabolic pattern, so when the plane descends, everyone floats up. That was to get used to the feeling of weightlessness," Flynn explained. “So I think I’m going to have some fun with that when we’re up. I also did the NASTAR training in Philadelphia and experienced up to 5 G's of pressure.”

In the days leading up to the April 14 launch, the crew will meet at the New Shepard launch site in Van Horn, Texas, for final training sessions. The first day of training will focus on getting the crew fitted in their customized flight suits and acclimated to the capsule they will be flying in.

When the crew members walk into a fully accurate test capsule, they will see their assigned seats for the first time, marked with name tags and patches. Blue Origin staff will guide them through the entire flight process, ensuring they are comfortable with every aspect—from where the cameras are located inside the capsule to how to communicate with ground control.

As part of the preparation, each New Shepard passenger is allowed a 3-pound weight limit for personal items. King plans to bring photographs and a memento from her grandson, while Perry intends to bring something alive "to remind us how precious the Earth is." Bowe will bring the flag from Apollo 12, plant samples from Winston-Salem State University's astrobotany lab, and dehydrated conch chowder, a national dish from the Bahamas. For Nguyen, her trip to space will include shells from the Malaysian island where her Vietnamese mother sought asylum, along with a handwritten note that says, "Never ever give up." Sánchez plans to bring the stuffed mascot from her children's book The Fly Who Flew to Space along with a few personal items.

The crew members have also been trained on two important emergency phrases to use if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. According to Blue Origin’s Sarah Knights, the phrases are "time-out" and "I will not fly." The crew has until T-minus 2 minutes and 30 seconds before liftoff to use these phrases; after that, the vehicle will control itself, and stopping the mission becomes risky.

Despite the seriousness of the mission, the all-female crew plans to embrace glamour in space. Nguyen said, “I think it’s so important for people to see us like that. This dichotomy of engineer and scientist, and then beauty and fashion. We contain multitudes. Women are multitudes. I’m going to be wearing lipstick.” Bowe also tested her hairstyle during a skydive in Dubai, adding, "I also wanted to test out my hair and make sure that it was OK." Perry concluded, “Space is going to finally be glam.”

As the launch date draws near, the New Shepard crew is preparing for a groundbreaking mission that will not only push the boundaries of space exploration but also highlight the vital role of women in science, engineering, and technology.