By Passant Rabie Published March 27, 2025 | Comments (4) | Katy Perry is joining five other crew members on Blue Origin's upcoming New Shepard mission. John Shearer/Getty Images Private spaceflight is entering its peak cringe era with the upcoming launch of Blue Origins New Shepard rocket, sending a crew that includes a fallen-off pop star and Jeff Bezos partner to the edge of space. Blue Origin has set a date for its next private mission, which will launch a crew of six private astronauts on board the companys New Shepard rocket. NS-31, Blue Origins 11th crewed mission, is set for liftoff on Monday, April 14 from Launch Site One in West Texas, the company announced on Thursday. The mission will launch an all-female crew that includes singer Katy Perry, TV personality and Oprahs bestie, Gayle King, and Bezoss fiance, Lauren Snchez. Also on board will be former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. While some of the crew members make sense, the rest are flashy add-ons to a rather expensive trip to suborbital heights where, spoiler alert, theyre just going to float around for about two minutes, with the whole thing lasting no more than 11 minutes. Blue Origin resumed its private spaceflight ventures last year following a two-year hiatus due to a liftoff malfunction of the New Shepard rocket. In September 2022, an uncrewed flight of New Shepard ended in flames around a minute after liftoff. Although those rocket trips are becoming more frequent, theyre still risky. Ive made no secret of the fact that Im very nervous, but also very excited, King said on her daily show CBS Mornings following the announcement. And I only ask people, when you see me on the street, please dont tell me not to go I just want people to cheer me on. Thats nicebut also, dont go.In the past, some of these private missions have included scientific payloads to carry out research in the microgravity environment. This one, however, seems to be about touting an all-female crew led by Snchez to embark on a mission that will challenge their perspectives of Earth, empower them to share their own stories, and create lasting impact that will inspire generations to come, Blue Origin wrote. It seems like most of the mission goals could be achieved from the ground rather than by paying a hefty price for a seat on New Shepard.The very first seat on Blue Origins rocket sold for $28 million through a global auction in 2021. The price for a ticket on the companys space tourism rides has not been made public, although reports have suggested that a seat on New Shepard costs around $1.25 million.Aside from how expensive it is, spaceflight should not just be open to randos like Perry. Call me a purist, but what does Perry really have to do with space? Its so frivolousespecially during a time when there is so much scrutiny over NASAs budget and ongoing efforts by the current administration to reduce the space agencys workforce. Yes, the goal is to make space more accessible to everyone but were definitely not there yet considering how exclusive these trips still are. In the meantime, private spaceflight is headed toward this highly obnoxious era that will likely alienate most people from the natural wonder and interest in exploring the cosmos.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Passant Rabie Published March 26, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published February 14, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published February 12, 2025 By Matt Novak Published January 20, 2025 Passant Rabie and George Dvorsky Published January 16, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 8, 2025