Charissa Thompson’s been around more locker room chaos than most head coaches. She’s covered quarterback meltdowns, locker room dramas, and those weird mid-game weather delays like a pro who could read the field better than half the roster. But the cool part? She never played it safe. So if you think her next chapter’s gonna be another comfy studio gig… yeah, think again.

After the Super Bowl LIX showdown wrapped up, where you know the Eagles thrashed the Chiefs and clinched their second Super Bowl title, Charissa’s contract with FOX expired. Ever since then, there’s been certain speculations about her next move. Turns out that she’s found her latest gig which includes a space mission operated by Blue Origin and an all-female crew.

Oh no, Charissa isn’t one of the all-female crew. In fact, the 42-year-old sportscaster is joining Blue Origin as a reporter for the New Shepard Mission NS-31. Let’s cut to the chase. On Tuesday, Charissa took to her official Instagram handle and shared the news with her fans in her story. “Let’s goooooooo, thrilled to be joining @blueorigin for this historic launch!!!” she wrote.

Her story features a short clip of Blue Origin announcing the hosts of New Shepard Mission NS-31. Charissa will be accompanied by Kristen Fisher and Ariane Cornell for this historic launch. The New Shepard Mission NS-31 is scheduled for April 14, 2025, and marks the 11th human flight of the New Shepard program. The interesting part? It features an all-female crew, the first since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963.

The six crew member includes, Aisha Bowe (former NASA aerospace engineer), Amanda Nguyễn (civil rights activist), Gayle King (journalist and television personality), Katy Perry (pop singer and songwriter), Kerianne Flynn (film producer), and Lauren Sánchez (Pilot, journalist, and fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos).

The liftoff’s going down at Blue Origin’s Launch Site One out in West Texas, with the launch window kicking open bright and early at 8:30 a.m. CDT (that’s 1:30 p.m. UTC if you’re keeping track.) From reporting the mega Super Bowl event to historic NS-31? Guess Charissa Thomson isn’t the one to sit still. That too after her contract with FOX expired.

A decade-long career with FOX came to an end for Charissa Thompson

After a three-year spell with ESPN, Charissa Thompson joined FOX on a full-time basis back in 2013. The kicker? Well, if you’re thinking that Charissa started her FOX journey back in 2013 as a reporter—think again. In fact, the veteran sportscaster finished her college, packed her bags and left for LA to join FOX back in 2006 in the HR department.

“I got my first job at Fox Sports back in 2006. I have grown up in this place & in this studio. There is not a Sunday that goes by that I don’t appreciate my second home & my coworkers who are also family,” she shared on her IG handle last year. After all that went down, Charissa went from cutting highlights in the FOX Sports basement to basically running the place on Sundays. From FOX NFL Kickoff to NFL Films Presents and Thursday Night Football, she’s been the face you can’t miss.

Before transitioning into a full-time role, she worked as a production assistant at FOX Sports Net Rocky Mountain, marking her journey into a new realm. And in no time, Charrisa received her first opportunity to work as a fill-in host for the their  Colorado Rockies all-access show. After witnessing her talents, she was later signed as a full-time host for FOX’s Best Damn Sports Show Period filmed in Los Angeles. During her tenure, she also made appearances as a sideline reporter for both FOX NFL and Big Ten Network.

But that’s not it. Before Charissa became a household name with FOX Sports, she had to leave her job for a while before finding her way back here eventually. In 2010, she left FOX briefly and move on to other ventures with NHL studio coverage, Yahoo and much more. With success knocking at her doorstep, Charissa then joined ESPN in 2011 as a host for Numbers Never Lie. After a brief stint with ESPN, she joined SportsNation in 2012 and then rejoined FOX Sports with the launch of FS1 in May 2013.

And let’s be honest—she, along with her co-host and best friend, Erin Andrews, became popular names during their respective tenure with the network. Fast forward, and with the wrap of the 2024 NFL season, Charissa’s contract with the network also expired. Now the big question is whether she’s re-signing with FOX or not.

The network hasn’t spilled the tea yet. Neither did Charissa, but she recently got real about her feelings with the network. During an episode of her Calm Down podcast with Erin Andrews, Charissa explained how FOX gave her family the VIP treatment at the Super Bowl.

“I love Fox so much because my brother and my dad came to the Super Bowl, and Fox is family to me, so my own family like sharing in those moments,” she told Erin. “It was so fun, and Fox just makes them feel so welcome and makes sure they’re included in the events and everything. So I just would be remiss if I didn’t mention how wonderful my extended work family is to my own family.” But with her contract up and there’s no confirmation about re-signing, everyone’s now wondering: is she about to exit FOX once and for all?

Meanwhile, her friend Erin Andrews is in the same boat as well. After the Super Bowl LIX, she’s also figuring out her contract situation. To make it spicier, with Jimmy Johnson’s retirement, FOX is now entering a different era. Will Charissa Thompson and Erin Andrews be a part of it? We’ve no clue. For now, we can just say that Charissa is gearing up for the historic NS-31 launch.