Blue Origin  ·  NS-31  ·  April 14, 2025

She funded her seat
to space.
Then got to work.

She trained for space, conducted research in microgravity, and returned with discoveries that could shape life beyond Earth.

Explore the scienceWatch the zero-g footage
62 mi
Above Earth
2200+
Miles Per Hour
2
Active Experiments
6
Crew Members
NS-31
Mission Designation
NS-31  ·  April 14, 2025

Mission Overview

Aisha Bowe traveled to space aboard Blue Origin's NS-31 mission as a science payload operator conducting research in microgravity focused on the future of food production beyond Earth.

During the mission, she operated two scientific payloads and flight-qualified BioServe Space Technologies' Fluid Processing Apparatus for suborbital use in partnership with NASA's Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH), Winston-Salem State University, and the Brazilian Space Agency. The experiments studied how microgravity and radiation affect sweet potato, tomato, chickpea, and Arabidopsis seedlings at the molecular level  research designed to advance future space farming and long-duration human spaceflight.

On April 14, 2025, Bowe became the first Black woman confirmed to fly with Blue Origin and the sixth Black woman to cross the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.

She also carried symbolic items aboard the mission, including the personal American flag of Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad and a University of Michigan flag.

NS-31  ·  Zero Gravity  ·  April 14, 2025
Before the Launch

Road to Space

The seat was self-funded. The preparation was not optional. Aisha completed a rigorous multi-discipline training regimen before becoming a Blue Origin NS-31 payload specialist.

Feature Training
02  /  05

L-39
Jet Flight

Trained in a Czech-built L-39 Albatros military jet  building spatial orientation, g-force tolerance, and confidence under high-performance flight dynamics. The closest thing to a rocket cockpit before the real thing.

01  /  05

NASTAR

Aisha completed centrifuge-based g-force conditioning at the NASTAR Center — the first FAA-approved commercial human spaceflight training center in the United States. The program exposed her to launch, reentry, spatial disorientation, and high-G flight profiles designed to prepare astronauts and pilots for the physiological demands of spaceflight.

Watch Her Train
03  /  05

Aerobatics

Aisha completed advanced aerobatic flight training in an Extra aircraft, performing loops, rolls, inverted flight, and high-G maneuvers designed to prepare the body and mind for the sensory demands of spaceflight. The training builds vestibular resilience, spatial orientation, and tolerance to disorientation — critical preparation for the rapid acceleration and altered sensory environment of launch and weightlessness.

Watch Her Fly
04  /  05

Hypoxia Training

Aisha completed hypoxia awareness training through the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) in partnership with the Southern AeroMedical Institute (SAMI) in Florida. The program exposed her to controlled low-oxygen environments to recognize early cognitive and physiological effects of oxygen deprivation. She learned to identify her own warning signs before they become dangerous.

Watch Hypoxia Test
05  /  05

Pressurized Suit Training

Aisha trained in a full pressurized flight suit, learning the operational demands of suited spaceflight — donning and doffing procedures, mobility constraints, suit pressurization protocols, and emergency response. The training builds the muscle memory and situational awareness required to operate safely under pressure in a confined environment before and during launch.

Watch Suit Training
Mission Science

What she carried into orbit.

Aisha conducted two active experiments aboard NS-31.

TRISH

Human Physiology in Microgravity

How does the body respond when gravity disappears? Aisha carried a TRISH experiment capturing physiological data during flight — contributing to health science for the future of long-duration spaceflight.

BioServe

Cellular Biology Beyond Gravity

Biological behavior changes when gravity is removed. The BioServe payload documented these cellular shifts — opening research pathways that can only be unlocked in space.

Mission Photography

The moments, unfiltered.

Launch day — April 14, 2025West Texas  ·  Blue Origin Launch Site One
View all photosWatch zero-g footage
Work With Aisha

Let's connect.

Speaking engagements, partnerships,
science collaboration, and media.

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