Gayle King Joins Blue Origin’s All-Women Space Crew for Historic Mission
Gayle King is officially reaching new heights—literally.
On Thursday (Feb 27), the announcement came that the “CBS Mornings” co-host would be part of the all-women crew set to embark on Blue Origin’s next mission to the boundary of where space begins.
Joining King on the journey are pop superstar Katy Perry, journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
Together, they’ll soar 62 miles above Earth to the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary where Earth’s atmosphere ends and space begins.
While the idea of launching into space might not have been on her bucket list, the veteran journalist is embracing the challenge with excitement—mixed with a little fear.
“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,” King admitted on “CBS Mornings” following the announcement.
Having recently celebrated her 70th birthday, King sees this mission as an opportunity to push beyond her comfort zone. “I thought I wanted to open myself up to new adventures and step out of my comfort zone,” she explained.
Before saying yes, she made sure to check in with her inner circle—including her children, Kirby and Will, and her longtime best friend, Oprah Winfrey.
“Once Kirby and Will and Oprah were fine with it, I was fine,” King shared. “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.”
Despite her initial hesitation, King is now embracing the moment and feeling empowered by the trailblazing women she’ll be flying alongside.
“These women are so bada—,” she said. “They have such amazing life stories.”
The historic flight, scheduled for this spring, will be the 11th human flight under the company’s New Shepard program.
