Katy Perry's space mission: What, why, and when
What's the story
In a first-of-its-kind move, pop star Katy Perry is going to embark on an all-female commercial spaceflight next week.
The launch, due on Monday, will be carried out by Blue Origin, a space technology company founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
The mission is particularly historic as it will be the first all-female flight since Valentina Tereshkova's solo journey in 1963.
Here's all you need to know about it.
Crew details
Meet the crew of the upcoming Blue Origin flight
The six women joining New Shepard's NS-31 mission include former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyễn, and CBS host Gayle King.
They will be accompanied by pop artist Perry, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and Emmy Award-winning journalist Lauren Sánchez who's also Bezos's fiancée.
Speaking to Elle magazine, the crew said they would be in "glam" with hair and makeup for the journey.
Launch details
Blue Origin's New Shepard to launch from Texas
Blue Origin's New Shepard (named after astronaut Alan Shepard) is set to launch from Launch Site One, a private ranch in rural West Texas. The launch window opens at 8:30am CDT or 7:00pm IST on April 14.
The company plans to livestream the launch, details of which will be shared soon.
Dubbed NS-31, this will be Blue Origin's 11th human flight and 31st flight overall after its first crewed flight with Bezos himself in 2021.
Flight experience
What to expect during the Blue Origin spaceflight?
The flight will take approximately 10-11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown, giving the crew a couple of minutes of weightlessness and the opportunity to witness Earth's curvature.
First, the astronauts will be launched into space at over three times the speed of sound. Then they will pass the Kármán line, the boundary of space 100km above Earth, before "unbuckling to float weightless."
New Shepard is completely reusable, with its capsule returning to Earth with the help of three parachutes.
Flight cost
The cost of Blue Origin's spaceflight
While Blue Origin doesn't list prices on its website, a form reserving a seat requires customers to agree to a $1,50,000 deposit alone.
The company has not said how the crew of NS-31 was selected for this historic flight.
Blue Origin is emerging as a major player in the commercial space industry, competing with SpaceX for NASA's business and other private companies.