Katy Perry is almost ready for launch — and she’s giving fans a peek inside the capsule before liftoff.
The pop star is set to board Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission on Monday morning (April 14), joining a groundbreaking, all-female crew for the company’s 11th human spaceflight.
Ahead of launch, Perry shared a behind-the-scenes look from inside the capsule, posting a video to Instagram where she appears in full flight gear with her fellow passengers.
“I think I’m gonna sing,” she says in the clip. “I’ve got to sing in space!” As the camera pans to show the six-woman team seated together, Perry adds, “These are all of my astronaut girly friends,” flashing a grin as the capsule runs through final simulations.
Joining Perry on the mission are journalist Lauren Sánchez, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, producer and entrepreneur Kerianne Flynn, and CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King. The crew is scheduled to launch at 7 a.m. CT from Blue Origin’s West Texas facility, where they’ve spent the past several days completing astronaut training.
This will mark the first all-women crewed mission to space since Valentina Tereshkova’s historic solo flight in 1963.
Earlier this week, Perry described the emotional resonance she felt while preparing for the mission, explaining that she experienced what she believed were signs from the universe that confirmed she was on the right path.
“When I was invited to come on this voyage, I looked up the capsule. On the very front of it is the outline in the shape of a feather and when I saw that it was like a total confirmation because my mom has always called me Feather,” she said.
“Then they reveal the capsule name… The capsule’s name is Tortoise. A wave, just the most energetic wave, just shot through my body. My mom calls me two nicknames. Feather and Tortoise. What are the chances that I’m going to space on a rocket in a capsule with my symbol, the feather, called Tortoise?”
“There are no coincidences,” she added. “And I’m just so grateful for these confirmations and so grateful that I feel like something bigger than me is steering the ship.”
Perry has embraced the symbolism and style of the mission, joking in a separate post, “There will be lash extensions flying in the capsule… Mine are glued on. They’re good.” She added, “Space is going to finally be glam.”
Lauren Sánchez echoed the sentiment, saying, “We’re going to put the ‘a**’ in astronaut.”
For Perry, the mission also serves as a message to young women. “I’m motivated more than ever to be an example for my daughter that women should take up space — literally and figuratively,” she wrote on Instagram.
After the short journey into space — which will include four minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth — Perry will begin her Lifetimes Tour in support of her upcoming album 143, launching April 23 in Mexico City.
The flight will be broadcast live on CBS with coverage beginning at 7 a.m. ET with a special edition of CBS Mornings, followed by the “Gayle Goes to Space” special at 9 a.m. ET. Paramount+ will also stream the entire Blue Origin launch and flight.
