Nationwide — Gayle King will be part of an all-female crew on Blue Origin’s upcoming space mission this spring. The mission will make history as the first all-female crewed spaceflight since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo mission in 1963.At 70 years old, King admitted she’s having mixed feelings about the experience. She said, “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,” according to CBS News.
Before agreeing to join the mission, King consulted with her children, Kirby and Will, as well as her longtime friend Oprah Winfrey. Once they gave their support, she felt ready to take the leap.
King admitted she never imagined herself going to space but saw the opportunity as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “This was never my dream. It was never my dream,” she said. “And somebody said, maybe you need to have new dreams, Gayle.”
The mission, which aims to inspire future generations of women in space, also includes pop star Katy Perry, former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronaut Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez.
Sánchez, who helped organize the crew, expressed her excitement. “I really see this group as explorers and storytellers, each of us about to be changed by a remarkable view of our beautiful planet,” she said.
The mission, which will be Blue Origin’s 11th human flight, will offer a brief suborbital journey with weightlessness and breathtaking views of Earth. While the exact launch date is yet to be confirmed, the mission is already building excitement as a milestone for women in space exploration.