This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg8e5gq8ljo
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Katy Perry blasts off with all-women crew on Blue Origin rocket | Katy Perry blasts off with all-women crew on Blue Origin rocket |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A crew of six women, including Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos's fiancée Lauren Sanchez, are due to launch into space for an 11-minute flight. | |
| Pop star Katy Perry and five other women are set to blast into space aboard Jeff Bezos' space tourism rocket. | Pop star Katy Perry and five other women are set to blast into space aboard Jeff Bezos' space tourism rocket. |
| The singer will be joined by Bezos's fiancée Lauren Sánchez and CBS presenter Gayle King. | The singer will be joined by Bezos's fiancée Lauren Sánchez and CBS presenter Gayle King. |
| The New Shepard rocket is due to lift off from its West Texas launch site and the launch window opens at 08:30 local time (14:30 BST). You'll be able to follow the launch live here on the BBC website. | |
| The flight will last around 11 minutes and take the crew more than 100km (62 miles) above Earth, crossing the internationally recognised boundary of space and giving the crew a few moments of weightlessness. | The flight will last around 11 minutes and take the crew more than 100km (62 miles) above Earth, crossing the internationally recognised boundary of space and giving the crew a few moments of weightlessness. |
| Also on board are former Nasa rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. | Also on board are former Nasa rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. |
| The spacecraft is fully autonomous, requiring no pilots, and the crew will not manually operate the vehicle. | The spacecraft is fully autonomous, requiring no pilots, and the crew will not manually operate the vehicle. |
| The capsule will return to Earth with a parachute-assisted soft landing, while the rocket booster will land itself around two miles away from the launch site. | The capsule will return to Earth with a parachute-assisted soft landing, while the rocket booster will land itself around two miles away from the launch site. |
| "If you had told me that I would be part of the first-ever all-female crew in space, I would have believed you. Nothing was beyond my imagination as a child. Although we didn't grow up with much, I never stopped looking at the world with hopeful WONDER!" Mrs Perry said in a social media post. | "If you had told me that I would be part of the first-ever all-female crew in space, I would have believed you. Nothing was beyond my imagination as a child. Although we didn't grow up with much, I never stopped looking at the world with hopeful WONDER!" Mrs Perry said in a social media post. |
| Blue Origin says the last all-female spaceflight was over 60 years ago when Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space on a solo mission aboard the spacecraft Vostok 6. | Blue Origin says the last all-female spaceflight was over 60 years ago when Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space on a solo mission aboard the spacecraft Vostok 6. |
| Since then, there have been no other all-female spaceflights but women have made numerous significant contributions. | Since then, there have been no other all-female spaceflights but women have made numerous significant contributions. |
| Katy Perry gave her followers a sneak peek of the capsule she's training to launch aboard the New Shepard, all while in her spacesuit. | |
| She revealed her call sign as "Feather" and showed where her fellow astronauts – the "Taking Up Space" crew – would be and expressed her excitement about singing in space. | |
| Blue Origin is a private space company founded in 2000 by Bezos, the billionaire entrepreneur who also started Amazon. | Blue Origin is a private space company founded in 2000 by Bezos, the billionaire entrepreneur who also started Amazon. |
| Although Blue Origin has not released full ticket prices, a $150,000 (£114,575.85) deposit is required to reserve a seat—underlining the exclusivity of these early flights. | Although Blue Origin has not released full ticket prices, a $150,000 (£114,575.85) deposit is required to reserve a seat—underlining the exclusivity of these early flights. |
| Alongside its suborbital tourism business, the company is also developing long-term space infrastructure, including reusable rockets and lunar landing systems. | Alongside its suborbital tourism business, the company is also developing long-term space infrastructure, including reusable rockets and lunar landing systems. |
| The New Shepard rocket is designed to be fully reusable and its booster returns to the launch pad for vertical landings after each flight, reducing overall costs. | The New Shepard rocket is designed to be fully reusable and its booster returns to the launch pad for vertical landings after each flight, reducing overall costs. |
| According to US law, astronauts must complete comprehensive training for their specific roles. | According to US law, astronauts must complete comprehensive training for their specific roles. |
| Blue Origin says its New Shepard passengers are trained over two days with a focus on physical fitness, emergency protocols, details about the safety measures and procedures for zero gravity. | Blue Origin says its New Shepard passengers are trained over two days with a focus on physical fitness, emergency protocols, details about the safety measures and procedures for zero gravity. |
| Additionally, there are two support members referred to as Crew Member Seven: one provides continuous guidance to astronauts, while the other maintains communication from the control room during the mission. | Additionally, there are two support members referred to as Crew Member Seven: one provides continuous guidance to astronauts, while the other maintains communication from the control room during the mission. |
| The rise of space tourism has prompted criticism that it is too exclusive and environmentally damaging. | The rise of space tourism has prompted criticism that it is too exclusive and environmentally damaging. |
| Supporters argue that private companies are accelerating innovation and making space more accessible. | Supporters argue that private companies are accelerating innovation and making space more accessible. |
| Professor Brian Cox told the BBC in 2024: "Our civilisation needs to expand beyond our planet for so many reasons," and believes that collaboration between NASA and commercial firms is a positive step. | Professor Brian Cox told the BBC in 2024: "Our civilisation needs to expand beyond our planet for so many reasons," and believes that collaboration between NASA and commercial firms is a positive step. |
| Rocket engine exhaust contains gases and particles that can affect Earth's climate and ozone layer. | |
| On its web page under the title "Protecting our Planet" Blue Origin claims "During flight, the only byproduct of New Shepard's engine combustion is water vapor with no carbon emissions." | |
| However, Eloise Marais, a professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality at University College London points out that anything that combusts at a higher temperature turns nitrogen in the atmosphere into nitrogen oxides, which are planet-warming greenhouse gases. | |
| She also points out that water vapour too is a greenhouse gas and is a chemical that is not supposed to be in the upper layers of the atmosphere. | |
| "It alters the chemistry of the stratosphere, depleting the ozone layer, and also forms clouds that affect climate," she says. | |
| Experts say that as more and more rockets are launched, the risks of harming the ozone layer increases. | |
| High-cost tourism | |
| The high cost of space tourism makes it inaccessible to most people, with these expensive missions out of reach for the majority. | The high cost of space tourism makes it inaccessible to most people, with these expensive missions out of reach for the majority. |
| Critics, including actress Olivia Munn, questioned the optics of this particular venture, remarking "there's a lot of people who can't even afford eggs," during an appearance on Today with Jenna & Friends. | |
| Astronaut Tim Peake has defended the value of human space travel, especially in relation to tackling global issues such as climate change. | Astronaut Tim Peake has defended the value of human space travel, especially in relation to tackling global issues such as climate change. |
| At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Peake voiced his disappointment that space exploration was increasingly seen as a pursuit for the wealthy, stating: "I personally am a fan of using space for science and for the benefit of everybody back on Earth, so in that respect, I feel disappointed that space is being tarred with that brush." | At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Peake voiced his disappointment that space exploration was increasingly seen as a pursuit for the wealthy, stating: "I personally am a fan of using space for science and for the benefit of everybody back on Earth, so in that respect, I feel disappointed that space is being tarred with that brush." |
| Watch Blue Origin's Last Spaceflight on the New Shepard Rocket | Watch Blue Origin's Last Spaceflight on the New Shepard Rocket |
| Watch: Blue Origin's tenth human space mission blast off | Watch: Blue Origin's tenth human space mission blast off |
| Additonal reporting by Victoria Gill and Kate Stephens, BBC Climate and Science. | Additonal reporting by Victoria Gill and Kate Stephens, BBC Climate and Science. |