CBS Mornings’ Gayle King has accepted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to head to space as part of the all-women crew aboard an upcoming Blue Origin flight.
King shared her historic news on Thursday’s edition of the morning show. “I don’t know how to explain being terrified and excited at the same time,” she said. “It’s like how I felt about to deliver a baby.”
King will be joining five other women on the journey, which is set to take place in the spring. Her co-cosmonauts include pop superstar Katy Perry, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, who is engaged to Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin’s founder.
King told CBS Mornings co-anchors Tony Dokoupil and Vladimir Duthiers that the idea was presented to her around the Thanksgiving holidays. She initially shot down the opportunity, but changed her mind after consulting with her children and her close friend, Oprah Winfrey.
“I thought Oprah would say ‘No, no!”” King revealed. “[Instead] she said, ‘I think if you don’t do it, when they all come back… you will be kicking yourself.’ She’s right.”
This will be the 11th human flight for Blue Origin’s New Shepard program, with King following in the footsteps of ABC News’ Michael Strahan in getting to see Earth from a unique vantage point and experience weightlessness.
Strahan was part of Blue Origin’s second space launch in December 2021. Upon completing his journey Strahan said he wanted to go again, calling the experience surreal and unbelievable. “Wow! That’s all I can say. Wow!” he exclaimed at the time.
