They’re blasting off.
Katy Perry, CBS News’ Gayle King and Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, are heading to space on Blue Origin’s historic all-women mission, the company announced Thursday.
The trio will be joined by former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
The all-female, six-person crew is set to launch this spring.
“I don’t know how to explain being terrified and excited at the same time. It’s like how I felt about to deliver a baby,” King, 70, said during the announcement on “CBS Mornings.”
“This was never my dream. It was never my dream,” King said. “And somebody said, maybe you need to have new dreams, Gayle.”
The TV anchor said she consulted with her kids and Oprah Winfrey before accepting a seat on the rocket.
“Once Kirby and Will and Oprah was fine with it, I was fine,” she said. “I thought Oprah would say ‘no, no.’ She said, ‘I think if you don’t do it, when they all come back and you had the opportunity to do it, you will be kicking yourself.’ She’s right.”
Sanchez, who brought the crew together, said she was “beyond excited” about the upcoming flight.
“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,” she wrote on Instagram.
The mission will mark the 11th human flight for the Bezos-owned rocket company’s New Shepard program.
