Queue "E.T." – Katy Perry went intergalactic (literally). The singer, along with several other members of a star-studded, all-female crew, blasted off Monday as part of Blue Origin's latest space mission, taking off and landing successfully. Perry put her pop star duties on hold to explore the outer orbit for 11 minutes. The mission, called NS-31, also included television personality Gayle King and journalist Lauren Sánchez, who is engaged to Blue Origin (and Amazon) founder Jeff Bezos. The crew is rounded out by former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The six women became the first all-female space crew in more than 60 years, Blue Origin has said. In the lead-up to the flight, Perry, King and Sánchez all expressed nerves and an eagerness to bring what they see as a female finesse to space. "I love you," Perry posted on X in all caps Monday morning, hinting at a last earthly goodbye. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. WATCH LIVE: Katy Perry, Gayle King, 4 other women prepare for Blue Origin launch Katy Perry's daughter Daisy Dove watches mom go to space Perry's daughter Daisy, whom the singer shares with husband Orlando Bloom, was present at the launch and watched her mom head to space. "She's 4 and a half, so she's still trying to figure out what day of the week it is," Perry joked about her daughter's reaction to the mission ahead of liftoff. "But it is very normal for us to talk about mommy going to space now, and I will be so excited to hold her when I land." All-female crew touches down after successful Blue Origin space flight King, Perry and company touched down just a few moments after leaving earth Monday. Dust blew up as the rocket landed. The mission saw celebrities and activists alike head to space. The voices of the women could be heard screaming as they descended, shortly after they were heard mid-flight marveling about the moon as they entered zero gravity and were unable to unbuckle and float about the cabin. 3..2..1 liftoff: Katy Perry, Gayle King go to space The space capsule holding Perry, King and their peers launched Monday morning as a breathless crowd watched on. Amid the dry, already alien-like backdrop of the Texas desert, Blue Origin workers and families of the six-woman all-female crew – the first of its kind – saw the rocket lift upward and turn a pop star, a journalist, an activist and others into astronauts. Crosswords Promo January 2025 When will Katy Perry, Gayle King, others head to space? How to watch Blue Origin launch livestream The launch is happening at Launch Site One in Southwest Texas. A livestream is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. ET, with the launch window beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET. Oprah watches Gayle King head to space King's best friend Oprah Winfrey watched on as her friend and fellow famed interviewer readied to take flight. "I've never been more proud of my friend than today," Winfrey said, adding that she felt very calm about the whole ordeal. Winfrey wore a bright yellow sweater in honor of King's call signs which is sunshine. "This is bigger than just going to space," she said of her friend who has long been a fearful flier. "This is overcoming a wall of fear. I think it's going to be cathartic." Gayle King says Oprah encouraged her to go to space Before blast-off, King told Blue Origin that when she first began toying with the idea of going to space her children and Winfrey signaled immediate support. Winfrey immediately encouraged her to take the chance, King said, saying her friend pointed out how much regret she might have if she had to watch the flight take off and wonder about what it would be like to be on it. "You should always know that no dream is too big," King said. Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian attend the launch As the all-female crew readied for takeoff, watchers were treated to a celebrity-studded sendoff with part of the Kardashian-Jenner family showing up to signal support. "It's really something," Kris Jenner said, adding that Kim Kardashian was supposed to attend as well but was studying for a law school exam. "It's a very brave thing to do," she added of the space flight. "Really whatever you dream of it is in our reach," Khloe Kardashian added. "Dream big, wish for the stars and one day you can maybe be amongst them." Blue Origin will launch an all-female crew April 14, 2025, from Texas. What is the New Shepard rocket all-female crew will ride to space? Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, the gum drop-shaped New Shepard launch vehicle is designed to be fully reusable The spacecraft operates autonomously – meaning no pilots or professional astronauts are aboard. Launches with celebrity crews may attract headlines, but the majority of spaceflights Blue Origin has conducted to date with New Shepard haven't even had humans aboard at all. Across 30 total spaceflights, an uncrewed New Shepard spacecraft has multiple times flown with scientific payloads on behalf of paying customers, including NASA. Blue Origin at forefront of commercial space industry For nearly four years since its first crewed spaceflight, New Shepard has served as a powerful symbol of Blue Origin's commercial spaceflight ambitions amid a growing space tourism industry. Spaceflight, once a sector dominated by government space agencies like NASA, is increasingly becoming a commercial enterprise as billionaire-led companies like Bezos' Blue Origin, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic look to develop their own spacecraft. The U.S. space agency is even poised to soon be potentially led by Jared Isaacman, himself a billionaire who has funded two of his own private spaceflights with SpaceX. Jeff Bezos drives Lauren Sánchez in star-studded launch day parade As Perry, King and the rest of the crew prepared for takeoff, they loaded up into a set of trucks with the windows open, waving to loved ones and Blue Origin workers. Bezos drove one of the Rivian trucks with fiancée Sánchez. Where flights set to enter full orbit and remain in space for a few days require their astronauts to quarantine, this 11-minute flight doesn't hold the same requirements, allowing for the women to give cameras a shot of them reaching out to fans and family for a personal send-off. Katy Perry tears up ahead of flight In a pre-flight interview, a tearful Perry talked about the love she felt for her family and a sense of pride about what the trip represents. Perry revealed she will bring a real-life daisy with her into orbit, to remind her of the preciousness of the earth (and a tribute to her daughter Daisy, no doubt). Katy Perry attends the 11th Breakthrough Prize ceremony at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on April 5, 2025. "The message to my family is that I love them so much. And I am so grateful to be representing a fearless female in my family which is a domino effect from my mom, from my sister and definitely something I feel from my daughter," she said. What will happen during the Blue Origin flight? The New Shepard's crew capsule can hold up to six people for a brief voyage above the Kármán Line – the 62-mile-high internationally recognized boundary of space. A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket lifts off with a crew of six on Dec. 11, 2021 from Launch Site One. Each spaceflight lasts about 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown. The capsule also comes outfitted with large windows for them to enjoy the stunning view of Earth. During each launch, the crew will become supersonic as the rocket reaches initial speeds exceeding 2,000 mph – much faster than the speed of sound. The capsule will within minutes separate from the rocket booster, at which point the women aboard will become weightless as their spacecraft continues toward apogee, or its highest point. The booster, meanwhile, heads back to the ground while firing its engines and using its fins to slow and control its descent to land about two miles from the launchpad. The capsule itself will make a parachute-assisted landing in the west Texas desert. Katy Perry space flight glam: 'I'm going to be wearing lipstick' "Space is going to finally be glam," Perry told Elle magazine earlier this month, revealing she would be getting her hair and makeup done for the mission. "Let me tell you something. If I could take glam up with me, I would do that." Download USA TODAY's app to get to the heart of news Blue Origin space flight live updates: Katy Perry, Gayle King head to space 11 minutes with a window view of Earth: What to know about Blue Origin spaceflights Katy Perry and Gayle King are going to space. These celebrities have already been. Trump's pick to head NASA has been to space twice: Recapping billionaire's missions NASA astronaut reaches ISS with two Russians: What to know about Jonny Kim A year ago, a dazzling total solar eclipse captivated Americans. When is the next one? "We're going to have lash extensions flying in the capsule!" Sánchez joked, assuring a worried King that hers are securely glued on so they would stay put. "I think it's so important for people to see us like that. This dichotomy of engineer and scientist, and then beauty and fashion," Nguyen added. "We contain multitudes. Women are multitudes. I'm going to be wearing lipstick." Olivia Munn calls new Blue Origin space flight with Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez 'gluttonous' King, who has achieved icon status as a television host and author, said while she's sure others seeing her up there will hold significance, one audience member stands out as special. "My grandson, who's 3½, thinks it's the coolest thing," she told Elle. "He will be there at the launch. He already has a little astronaut uniform." Gayle King admits to having nerves before Blue Origin flight Mere days ahead of he expedition, King admitted to having some nerves in an interview with Vladimir Duthiers for "CBS Mornings" that released April 11. Gayle King attends the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 5, 2025, in Santa Monica, California. "I'll be ready Monday morning, I promise," she said. " But I still have a ways to go before I'm like, 'OK, put me in, coach. Let's go.'" She explained the historic nature of the space launch is what encouraged her to be part of the adventure. "There was something about being part of the first female team to me," she said. "The group of women that they put together is so extraordinary to me that I thought, 'Wow. Why would I not wanna be a part of that?'" "I'm looking forward to just floating in space, and just seeing what that feels like, and what that looks like," she said. William Shatner space flight, more celebrities in space Katy Perry and Gayle King are going to space. These celebrities have already been. Monday's blast-off represents the first all-woman flight to space since the Soviet Union's Valentina Tereshkova’s solo venture in 1963. Perry and King are not the first big-name stars to take their fame into orbit, however: "Star Trek" actor William Shatner became the oldest person to head to space in 2021, and NFL player turned television host Michael Strahan also boarded a Blue Origin flight that same year.

Katy Perry, Gayle King head to space on Blue Origin flight: Watch live

Queue "E.T." – Katy Perry went intergalactic (literally).

The singer, along with several other members of a star-studded, all-female crew, blasted off Monday as part of Blue Origin's latest space mission, taking off and landing successfully. Perry put her pop star duties on hold to explore the outer orbit for 11 minutes.

The mission, called NS-31, also included television personality Gayle King and journalist Lauren Sánchez, who is engaged to Blue Origin (and Amazon) founder Jeff Bezos. The crew is rounded out by former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The six women became the first all-female space crew in more than 60 years, Blue Origin has said.

In the lead-up to the flight, Perry, King and Sánchez all expressed nerves and an eagerness to bring what they see as a female finesse to space.

"I love you," Perry posted on X in all caps Monday morning, hinting at a last earthly goodbye.

Katy Perry's daughter Daisy Dove watches mom go to space

Perry's daughter Daisy, whom the singer shares with husband Orlando Bloom, was present at the launch and watched her mom head to space.

"She's 4 and a half, so she's still trying to figure out what day of the week it is," Perry joked about her daughter's reaction to the mission ahead of liftoff. "But it is very normal for us to talk about mommy going to space now, and I will be so excited to hold her when I land."

All-female crew touches down after successful Blue Origin space flight

King, Perry and company touched down just a few moments after leaving earth Monday. Dust blew up as the rocket landed.

The mission saw celebrities and activists alike head to space. The voices of the women could be heard screaming as they descended, shortly after they were heard mid-flight marveling about the moon as they entered zero gravity and were unable to unbuckle and float about the cabin.

3..2..1 liftoff: Katy Perry, Gayle King go to space

The space capsule holding Perry, King and their peers launched Monday morning as a breathless crowd watched on.

Amid the dry, already alien-like backdrop of the Texas desert, Blue Origin workers and families of the six-woman all-female crew – the first of its kind – saw the rocket lift upward and turn a pop star, a journalist, an activist and others into astronauts.

When will Katy Perry, Gayle King, others head to space? How to watch Blue Origin launch livestream

The launch is happening at Launch Site One in Southwest Texas.

A livestream is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. ET, with the launch window beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Oprah watches Gayle King head to space

King's best friend Oprah Winfrey watched on as her friend and fellow famed interviewer readied to take flight.

"I've never been more proud of my friend than today," Winfrey said, adding that she felt very calm about the whole ordeal. Winfrey wore a bright yellow sweater in honor of King's call signs which is sunshine.

"This is bigger than just going to space," she said of her friend who has long been a fearful flier. "This is overcoming a wall of fear. I think it's going to be cathartic."

Gayle King says Oprah encouraged her to go to space

Before blast-off, King told Blue Origin that when she first began toying with the idea of going to space her children and Winfrey signaled immediate support.

Winfrey immediately encouraged her to take the chance, King said, saying her friend pointed out how much regret she might have if she had to watch the flight take off and wonder about what it would be like to be on it.

"You should always know that no dream is too big," King said.

Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian attend the launch

As the all-female crew readied for takeoff, watchers were treated to a celebrity-studded sendoff with part of the Kardashian-Jenner family showing up to signal support.

"It's really something," Kris Jenner said, adding that Kim Kardashian was supposed to attend as well but was studying for a law school exam. "It's a very brave thing to do," she added of the space flight.

"Really whatever you dream of it is in our reach," Khloe Kardashian added. "Dream big, wish for the stars and one day you can maybe be amongst them."

Blue Origin will launch an all-female crew April 14, 2025, from Texas.

What is the New Shepard rocket all-female crew will ride to space?

Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, the gum drop-shaped New Shepard launch vehicle is designed to be fully reusable

The spacecraft operates autonomously – meaning no pilots or professional astronauts are aboard.

Launches with celebrity crews may attract headlines, but the majority of spaceflights Blue Origin has conducted to date with New Shepard haven't even had humans aboard at all. Across 30 total spaceflights, an uncrewed New Shepard spacecraft has multiple times flown with scientific payloads on behalf of paying customers, including NASA.

Blue Origin at forefront of commercial space industry

For nearly four years since its first crewed spaceflight, New Shepard has served as a powerful symbol of Blue Origin's commercial spaceflight ambitions amid a growing space tourism industry.

Spaceflight, once a sector dominated by government space agencies like NASA, is increasingly becoming a commercial enterprise as billionaire-led companies like Bezos' Blue Origin, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic look to develop their own spacecraft.

The U.S. space agency is even poised to soon be potentially led by Jared Isaacman, himself a billionaire who has funded two of his own private spaceflights with SpaceX.

Jeff Bezos drives Lauren Sánchez in star-studded launch day parade

As Perry, King and the rest of the crew prepared for takeoff, they loaded up into a set of trucks with the windows open, waving to loved ones and Blue Origin workers. Bezos drove one of the Rivian trucks with fiancée Sánchez.

Where flights set to enter full orbit and remain in space for a few days require their astronauts to quarantine, this 11-minute flight doesn't hold the same requirements, allowing for the women to give cameras a shot of them reaching out to fans and family for a personal send-off.

Katy Perry tears up ahead of flight

In a pre-flight interview, a tearful Perry talked about the love she felt for her family and a sense of pride about what the trip represents. Perry revealed she will bring a real-life daisy with her into orbit, to remind her of the preciousness of the earth (and a tribute to her daughter Daisy, no doubt).

Katy Perry attends the 11th Breakthrough Prize ceremony at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on April 5, 2025.

"The message to my family is that I love them so much. And I am so grateful to be representing a fearless female in my family which is a domino effect from my mom, from my sister and definitely something I feel from my daughter," she said.

What will happen during the Blue Origin flight?

The New Shepard's crew capsule can hold up to six people for a brief voyage above the Kármán Line – the 62-mile-high internationally recognized boundary of space.

A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket lifts off with a crew of six on Dec. 11, 2021 from Launch Site One.

Each spaceflight lasts about 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown. The capsule also comes outfitted with large windows for them to enjoy the stunning view of Earth.

During each launch, the crew will become supersonic as the rocket reaches initial speeds exceeding 2,000 mph – much faster than the speed of sound. The capsule will within minutes separate from the rocket booster, at which point the women aboard will become weightless as their spacecraft continues toward apogee, or its highest point.

The booster, meanwhile, heads back to the ground while firing its engines and using its fins to slow and control its descent to land about two miles from the launchpad. The capsule itself will make a parachute-assisted landing in the west Texas desert.

Katy Perry space flight glam: 'I'm going to be wearing lipstick'

"Space is going to finally be glam," Perry told Elle magazine earlier this month, revealing she would be getting her hair and makeup done for the mission. "Let me tell you something. If I could take glam up with me, I would do that."

"We're going to have lash extensions flying in the capsule!" Sánchez joked, assuring a worried King that hers are securely glued on so they would stay put.

"I think it's so important for people to see us like that. This dichotomy of engineer and scientist, and then beauty and fashion," Nguyen added. "We contain multitudes. Women are multitudes. I'm going to be wearing lipstick."

King, who has achieved icon status as a television host and author, said while she's sure others seeing her up there will hold significance, one audience member stands out as special.

"My grandson, who's 3½, thinks it's the coolest thing," she told Elle. "He will be there at the launch. He already has a little astronaut uniform."

Gayle King admits to having nerves before Blue Origin flight

Mere days ahead of he expedition, King admitted to having some nerves in an interview with Vladimir Duthiers for "CBS Mornings" that released April 11.

Gayle King attends the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 5, 2025, in Santa Monica, California.

"I'll be ready Monday morning, I promise," she said. " But I still have a ways to go before I'm like, 'OK, put me in, coach. Let's go.'"

She explained the historic nature of the space launch is what encouraged her to be part of the adventure.

"There was something about being part of the first female team to me," she said. "The group of women that they put together is so extraordinary to me that I thought, 'Wow. Why would I not wanna be a part of that?'"

"I'm looking forward to just floating in space, and just seeing what that feels like, and what that looks like," she said.

William Shatner space flight, more celebrities in space

Monday's blast-off represents the first all-woman flight to space since the Soviet Union's Valentina Tereshkova’s solo venture in 1963.

Perry and King are not the first big-name stars to take their fame into orbit, however: "Star Trek" actor William Shatner became the oldest person to head to space in 2021, and NFL player turned television host Michael Strahan also boarded a Blue Origin flight that same year.

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