Sarah Brightman is heading into orbit.
The British singer, known for Broadway stardom in “The Phantom of the Opera” and her extensive solo career, will rocket to greater hits when she joins a mission to the International Space Station. Joining the crew of a Soyuz rocket with assistance from Space Adventures, Ltd., she’ll likely spend 10 days in orbit — where she hopes to perform in space.
She made the announcement in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday. She’ll release a new album, “Dreamchaser,” in January 2013, and begin a six-month pre-orbit training process after a world tour.
For Brightman, a UNESCO Artist for Peace ambassador, the space station trip will come alongside her work with Virgin Galactic’s Galactic Unite STEM Scholarship program, which encourages women to pursue science and technology.
“I don’t think of myself as a dreamer. Rather, I am a dream chaser,” Brightman said in a statement. “I hope that I can encourage others to take inspiration from my journey both to chase down their own dreams and to help fulfill the important UNESCO mandate to promote peace and sustainable development on earth and from space.”