Lauren Sánchez confirms long-awaited space journey news — and the celebrity guest list is impressive
It’s official — Lauren Sánchez’s journey to the great expanse above our planet will be happening very soon and with a star-studded crew.
The 55-year-old philanthropist and pilot, the fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will be flying aboard an all-female crew with Jeff’s space technology organization Blue Origin.
The space flight will be departing this spring, and Lauren will be joined by an illustrious group of people that includes some of her close celebrity friends.
CBS News anchor Gayle King, singer Katy Perry, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn will join Lauren on her mission.
The all-female flight is only the 11th human flight for Blue Origin’s New Shepard program, with previous flyers as part of the program even including Jeff himself and Star Trek actor William Shatner.
Lauren reacted to the news on social media, saying: “If someone would’ve told me I would’ve been able to go to space one day, I would’ve definitely…well, laughed. I can’t believe it’s happening.”
“My dad would teach people how to fly and I used to hang around the hangar. And I thought dreaming of becoming a pilot was a huge deal. And this…is even bigger.”
She continued to praise the other women who would be joining her, saying: “The incredible women going on this flight are extraordinary in all of their fields, but more importantly, they’re incredible storytellers.”
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“So what I’m hoping for is this flight is not just transformative for them, but also all of the people that they tell their story to. Hopefully, it sparks that imagination to dream big and reach for the stars.”
© Blue OriginGayle, who turned 70 in December, also shared the announcement on CBS Morning News, and told her co-anchors that this mission represents a new phase in her life.
“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,” she reacted. “I thought I wanted to open myself up to new adventures and step out of my comfort zone.”
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Gayle explained that before accepting the mission, she first checked with her kids Kirby and Will, as well as her best friend Oprah Winfrey. “Once Kirby and Will and Oprah was fine with it, I was fine.”
© Getty Images“I thought Oprah would say no, no. She said, ‘I think if you don’t do it, when they all come back and you had the opportunity to do it, you will be kicking yourself.’ She’s right.”
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She added that going to space had never been her “dream,” a thought rankling through her mind when she was approached with the offer back in November. “This was never my dream. It was never my dream. And somebody said, maybe you need to have new dreams, Gayle.”
© Getty Images“I feel well prepared. I believe in Blue Origin, what they’re doing,” Gayle added through nervous excitement. “I am really excited and actually looking forward to it.” An exact date for the launch has not yet been announced, but it will be sometime this spring.
