Gayle King responded to the naysayers regarding her decision to go to space in several weeks.
CBS Mornings first revealed her participation in the historic Blue Origin New Shepard mission weeks ago.
The historic flight features six women: author and philanthropist Lauren Sanchez, singer Katy Perry, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn.
At the time of the televised announcement, Gayle admitted being scared about going on the rocket to space, but said she had previously told herself to try more things she feared.
Following Gayle’s announcement, she also received backlash from critics since billionaire Jeff Bezos is a co-founder of Blue Origin along with Amazon.
Many individuals told her not to go, but Gayle recently fired back and made a plea to people who see her in public and choose to mention the space trip.
Gayle King addressed her critics and fans about her upcoming space trip
CBS Mornings revealed an official launch date and time for Gayle’s voyage with Blue Origin. The flight will take off on Monday, April 14, at 9:30/8:30c (in the morning).
There will also be special televised coverage of Gayle’s big event on CBS that day.
“I’m going to start counting down on April 1,” Gayle told her co-stars.
She reiterated that she’s “made no secret” about being “very nervous” about her trip but is “also very excited.”
She then urged critics and supporters to be positive towards her in public.
“I only ask people, when you see me on the street, please don’t tell me not to go. Please don’t tell me what the hell I am thinking. I just want people to cheer me on and be happy for me,” Gayle shared.
“Because I really am excited,” she said, adding, “People are really messing with my head. So I’d really appreciate good wishes and good thoughts at this particular time. I’m nervous enough.”
Gayle said she’ll have her biggest supporters with her for the Blue Origin event
While Gayle is asking for support from individuals who see her out and about, she also has a great group of family and friends who encouraged her to go on the trip.
They include her favorite daughter, Kirby, her favorite son, Will, and best friend, Oprah Winfrey. She said they were all okay with her having this incredible experience, and none tried to talk her down.
All three will be at Launch Site One in West Texas on April 14 to cheer Gayle and her fellow crew members on as they blast off.
Gayle called her friend Katy Perry, her “support human,” who has helped alleviate her concerns about the voyage.
Blue Origin revealed a special NS-31 mission patch featuring the crew members’ names (below).
In addition, the patch has special symbols. For example, Perry appropriately receives a fireworks symbol due to her worldwide influence on music, pop culture, and philanthropy.
The symbol for Gayle is a shooting star microphone, representing her commitment to presenting important stories to others worldwide.
According to Blue Origin, other symbols on the patch include scales of justice for Nguyen, a target star for Bowe, a film reel for Flynn, and a character from Sanchez’s children’s book, The Fly Who Flew to Space.