After an extended day of rehearsing for her coming world tour, Perry determined to peruse a couple of books to assist her unwind earlier than mattress.
“I used to be listening to ‘Cosmos’ by Carl Sagan and studying a e book on string concept,” she recalled. “I’ve all the time been fascinated about astrophysics and fascinated about astronomy and astrology and the celebs. We’re all manufactured from stardust, and all of us come from the celebs.”
However Perry was motivated by extra than simply curiosity. Immediately, she is going to be part of Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, journalist Gayle King and three different ladies on an all-female Blue Origin spaceflight. Perry spoke with The Related Press at her Southern California rehearsal house Wednesday, days earlier than she was set to go away for coaching in Texas.
“I’m speaking to myself every single day and going, ‘You’re courageous, you’re daring, you might be doing this for the subsequent technology to encourage so many alternative folks however particularly younger ladies to go, “I’ll go to house sooner or later.” No limitations,’” she mentioned.
Perry mentioned she has been “psychologically” making ready for the spaceflight by studying work by the late Sagan and different scientists.
“I’m actually excited concerning the engineering of all of it. I’m excited to study extra about STEM and simply the maths about what it takes to perform this kind of factor,” she mentioned.
An all-female spaceflight appears an apt endeavor for Perry, 40, whose assortment of hits consists of songs about extraterrestrials (“E.T.”) and fireworks capturing throughout the sky (“Firework”), in addition to feminist anthems like her 2013 hit “Roar” and “WOMAN’S WORLD,” off her most recent album.
Perry mentioned that at any time when she is doing one thing new or daunting, she seems to be inward for energy and confidence.
“Utilizing that female divine that I used to be born with and positively unlocked once I had my daughter much more, it leveled up for certain. Being a mom simply makes you degree up with that kind of energy,” she mentioned. Her daughter, Daisy, 4, joined Perry earlier than her rehearsal.
Bezos’ rocket firm, Blue Origin, introduced the crew in February. Sanchez, a helicopter pilot and former TV journalist, picked the ladies who will be part of her on a 10-minute spaceflight from West Texas aboard a New Shepard rocket. Perry, Sanchez and King will probably be joined by Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist who now heads an engineering agency, analysis scientist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
“I’m feeling so grateful and grounded and honored to be invited and included with this unimaginable group of ladies,” Perry mentioned.
Each time she will get nervous concerning the journey, she reminds herself how essential it’s.
Blue Origin has flown vacationers on brief hops to house since 2021, after Bezos climbed aboard with his brother for the inaugural journey; right this moment’s journey would be the firm’s eleventh human spaceflight. Some passengers have acquired free rides, whereas others have paid a hefty sum to expertise weightlessness. The corporate declined to touch upon who’s footing the invoice for right this moment’s flight.
The information of the approaching journey has not been with out criticism, most not too long ago from actor Olivia Munn, who bemoaned the mission’s value and publicity. However Perry believes an all-women crew — the primary since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963 — has historic ramifications. Solely 14% of people that have gone to house have been ladies.
“It’s an essential second for the way forward for business house journey and for humanity on the whole and for ladies throughout,” she mentioned. “I simply really feel like, ‘Put us in, coach.’”
