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All-Female Crew, Including Katy Perry, Faces Criticism After Brief Space Voyage
A recent suborbital spaceflight by Blue Origin, featuring a pioneering all-female crew including pop icon Katy Perry, has ignited a debate regarding the value and purpose of civilian space travel. Despite the successful 11-minute mission, the endeavor has drawn scrutiny, enduring far beyond the brief flight duration. Even Martha Stewart, the lifestyle authority, has weighed in, adding fuel to the ongoing discussion.
Martha Stewart’s Zero-Gravity Throwback
Adding to the conversation, Martha Stewart shared a video on Friday from her zero-gravity experience in 2007. Her post, showcasing her weightless maneuvers aboard a Boeing 727 known as G-Force One, incorporated a playful nod to one of Perry’s popular songs.
Stewart’s video of aerial flips in zero gravity featured the caption, “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind?” – a lyric from Perry’s chart-topping 2010 hit, “Firework.”
An additional post on Stewart’s Instagram account declared, “In case you spaced out in 2007, Martha has always been ahead of her time,” further emphasizing the zero-gravity theme and subtly referencing the recent spaceflight.
The NS-31 Mission Crew
Perry, alongside author and former journalist Lauren Sanchez, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyễn, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and CBS host Gayle King, comprised the crew of Blue Origin’s successful NS-31 mission earlier this week.
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The team journeyed to the launch site in Rivian electric vehicles and ascended to the crew capsule via an elevator. Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin’s founder and Sanchez’s fiancé, personally accompanied them to the rocket for their approximately 11-minute journey. Perry reportedly sang “What a Wonderful World” during the flight; however, the livestream audio quality occasionally obscured the women’s voices.
This flight marked a milestone as the first all-female space mission since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s groundbreaking solo venture in 1963, when she became the first woman in space.
Upon the crew’s return, Bezos greeted them at the landing zone, where he notably stumbled into a small depression, narrowly avoiding a fall. This moment was widely circulated and replayed across social media platforms.
One X (formerly Twitter) user commented humorously, “Excuse me while I watch Jeff Bezos faceplant a million times.”
Flight Sparks Debate and Defense
Criticism of the space venture emerged even prior to launch. Olivia Munn, the actress, voiced her disapproval during an April 3 appearance on the Today show.
“There are numerous other critical issues in the world presently,” Munn stated. “What is the objective? Is it merely a historic ride? I find it somewhat excessive.”
Wendy’s, the fast-food chain recognized for its witty social media presence, also targeted Perry with playful online jabs after her return from space. Wendy’s initially tweeted, “Can we send her back?”
Subsequently, the company posted an image of Perry kissing the ground post-landing, captioned “I kissed the ground and i liked it,” a clear play on Perry’s 2008 hit, “I Kissed a Girl.”
When another X user questioned, “She was only up there for like 10 minutes, right?” Wendy’s responded sarcastically, “don’t short change her it was 11 minutes.”
However, the women involved in the spaceflight defended their undertaking.
“I won’t allow anyone to diminish our joy. The overwhelming majority are enthusiastic and supportive, comprehending the significance of this mission for young girls and women, as well as boys,” King stated at a post-flight press conference.
Bowe, the aerospace engineer, underscored the scientific objectives of the flight, stating, “We advanced scientific knowledge today. Blue Origin will facilitate more meaningful research due to the data we gathered. It wasn’t limited to plant biology; we investigated human physiology, contributing to the understanding of women’s bodies in space… We are inspiring people globally right now.”
Relive Katy Perry’s Space Visit
The New Shepard spacecraft launched from West Texas at approximately 8:30 a.m. CT on Monday. Viewers can re-experience the mission via Blue Origin’s livestream replay available on YouTube.
Watch this: Watch Blue Origin Successfully Land Its First All-Female Star-Studded Spaceflight
Defining Space: Does New Shepard Qualify?
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Blue Origin’s New Shepard launches from Texas.
The definition of “space” remains a topic of ongoing discussion. While the International Space Station is universally recognized as being in space, commercial suborbital flights, such as those operated by Blue Origin, occupy a less clearly defined area. One standard is the Kármán line, set at 62 miles above Earth’s surface.
NASA acknowledges the absence of a definitive boundary separating Earth’s atmosphere from outer space, but notes broad scientific agreement on the Kármán line as the transitional marker. Therefore, barring overly technical arguments, Perry and her fellow crew members experienced a brief period in space during their mission.
The women achieved weightlessness after their spacecraft surpassed the Kármán Line. The return to Earth involved a smooth, parachute-assisted landing of the capsule.
This flight represented the 11th human mission for the New Shepard program. Blue Origin has previously launched 52 individuals into space, including Star Trek’s William Shatner, Good Morning America’s Michael Strahan, and Jeff Bezos himself.