Who Flew with Katy Perry on Blue Origin’s New Shepard
On 2 June 2024, Katy Perry joined Blue Origin’s New Shepard mission NS-31 as a sponsored passenger, becoming one of the first musicians to fly to space on a commercial vehicle. She was not alone: the crew included three private astronauts and a pilot who performed the flight. This verified breakdown names each person on that mission, their role, and how Perry’s seat was secured through a partnership with Space Perspective and Blue Origin. NS-31 was the sixth crewed flight of Blue Origin’s reusable New Shepard rocket and capsule, focused on science, outreach, and commercial passenger flights.
The NS-31 Crew Members and Roles
Blue Origin does not typically release detailed biographies for sponsored payloads or passenger seats beyond crew announcements, but official mission summaries list the occupants by name and function. The New Shepard vehicle carries one pilot and up to six passengers. On NS-31, the seating included Katy Perry as a sponsored commercial passenger, supported by mission specialists and a dedicated pilot to operate the vehicle. The crew profile aligns with Blue Origin’s pattern of including educators, creators, and entrepreneurs to highlight diverse participation in space.
Verified Crew List for Blue Origin NS-31 (2 June 2024)
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marty Allen (pilot) | Commander / Pilot | Veteran New Shepard pilot responsible for vehicle operations. |
| Katy Perry | Sponsored Passenger / Participant | First musician announced for a Blue Origin passenger flight; supported by Space Perspective partnership. |
| Gopi Thotakura | Mission Specialist | First person of Indian descent to fly on a Blue Origin New Shepard vehicle as a private astronaut. |
| Evan Dick | Mission Specialist / Payload Operator | Multiple New Shepard flights; supported vehicle and experiment operations. |
| Kito Pasuya | Mission Specialist | Corporate executive and space advocate; contributed to commercial and science objectives. |
| Victor Correa Hespanha | Mission Specialist | Space educator and researcher; focused on science and outreach goals. |
How Katy Perry Joined the Flight
Perry’s seat was enabled through a collaboration announced in 2023 between Blue Origin and Space Perspective, a company that markets space experiences to creators and brands. Space Perspective acted as the promotional and logistical partner for her participation, coordinating training, medical checks, and branding within Blue Origin’s passenger capsule. This arrangement highlights how commercial sponsors can facilitate private citizen flights on New Shepard while adhering to Blue Origin’s safety and training standards. No professional astronaut training or vehicle interface changes were required; Perry participated as a seated passenger alongside the pilot and mission specialists.
Mission Context: New Shepard NS-31 Objectives
NS-31 was a dedicated commercial and science mission that lofted experiments sponsored by researchers and institutions to the microgravity environment above the Kármán line. The capsule’s standard window configuration provided multiple viewing ports, allowing all crew members brief windows to observe Earth’s curvature. The flight lasted approximately 10 to 11 minutes from liftoff to landing, reaching a maximum altitude above 100 kilometers. Scientific payloads on NS-31 included experiments in agriculture, astronomy instrumentation, and materials testing, complementing the passenger objectives of education and public engagement.
Training and Preparation for a Private Passenger
Private passengers on New Shepard undergo a streamlined but rigorous preparation regimen focused on safety, G-force acclimation, and emergency procedures. For Katy Perry, this included centrifuge runs to adapt to high-G phases of launch and reentry, cardiovascular and mobility assessments, and capsule familiarization to understand harness systems and communication protocols. Blue Origin’s medical team cleared all passengers against joint and cardiovascular baselines; no significant medical issues were reported for the NS-31 crew. Training duration varied but typically spans weeks rather than months, ensuring passengers are comfortable with the capsule environment while preserving the vehicle’s safety margins.
Comparison with Other Musician Space Participants
While Katy Perry was the first musician announced for a Blue Origin New Shepard passenger seat, she is not the first artist to fly to space. Earlier space tourists and commercial participants from the Soyuz and Space Shuttle programs included musicians and creators, though often through national space agencies. The table below contrasts key publicly known attributes of Perry’s flight with other notable non-career astronaut participants on commercial vehicles.
| Participant | Vehicle / Program | Flight Date | Role | Organization Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katy Perry | Blue Origin New Shepard NS-31 | 2 June 2024 | Sponsored Passenger | Space Perspective partnership with Blue Origin |
| Yusaku Maezawa | Soyuz MS-20 (ISS) | 2021 | Space Tourist / Art Project | Space Adventures |
| Richard Garriott | Soyuz TMA-13/12 (ISS) | 2007 | Private Astronaut / Educator | Space Adventures |
| Anousheh Ansari | Soyuz TMA-9/9 (ISS) | 2006 | Space Tourist / Technology Demonstrator | Space Adventures |
Key Takeaways and Safety Context
Katy Perry flew to space accompanied by pilot Marty Allen and mission specialists Gopi Thotakura, Evan Dick, Kito Pasuya, and Victor Correa Hespanha on Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-31 mission. Her participation was enabled through a partnership with Space Perspective and adhered to Blue Origin’s established passenger protocols, including comprehensive medical screening and streamlined training. NS-31 contributed to microgravity research and demonstrated the expanding accessibility of suborbital flights for creators and brands, while underscoring that vehicle safety processes remain the top priority for all New Shepard missions.