For Gayle King, the sky is no longer the limit. The “CBS Mornings” co-host will board Blue Origin’s next flight to the boundary of space next week.
King will step out of her comfort zone and into a space suit alongside pop superstar Katy Perry, journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn for the 11th human flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard program. It will be the first all-female flight crew recorded since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963, according to Blue Origin.
“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,” described King when she was revealed as a crew member in February.
Here’s what to know about the upcoming expedition.
When is Blue Origin’s next space flight?
The crew is scheduled to blast off on Monday, April 14, from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas.
How to watch Blue Origin’s historic women-led space flight
You can watch coverage of the Monday morning launch on CBS or stream it on CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+.
Watch “CBS Mornings,” which airs every weekday from 7 to 9 a.m. ET, for pre-launch coverage and other top stories. Special coverage on “CBS Mornings” starts at 9 a.m. ET, with the launch window opening at 9:30 a.m. ET.
How many people has Blue Origin flown to space?
So far, Blue Origin says it has sent 52 passengers on the approximately 11-minute-long thrill ride to space, traveling 62 miles above Earth to the Kármán line — the generally recognized point that separates the planet’s atmosphere from space.
Jennifer Earl is the Vice President of Growth & Engagement at CBS News and Stations. Jennifer has previously written for outlets including The Daily Herald, The Gazette, NBC News, Newsday, Fox News and more.
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