In case you missed it, a star-studded crew, including Katy Perry, flew into space on April 14, for just a matter of minutes and many people aren’t happy about it
On April 14, six celebrities, including Katy Perry, journeyed into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard spaceship for 11 minutes. The trip, which was orchestrated by Blue Origin Enterprises, an American space technology company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, sent Lauren Sánchez, Katy Perry, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn into space in full glam and custom-designed blue suits.
The Blue Origin New Shepard NS-31 mission gained considerable attention for its all-female crew, which was launched from Blue Origin’s facility in the West Texas Desert. The mission successfully carried the crew over the Karman Line, the internationally recognised boundary of space, reaching an altitude of 100km (62 miles).
Despite many people’s optimism regarding technological advancements and the potential for space travel following this mission. Not everyone shared the same enthusiasm. Many are now taking to social media to share their thoughts on the short journey.
READ MORE: Katy Perry’s ‘space glam’ included a £10 foundation for historic Blue Origin flight
American model and actress Emily Ratajkowski posted a TikTok yesterday calling out Blue Origin for sending a star-studded crew into space for merely a recreational joyride. Emily told her followers: “That space mission this morning? That’s end-time s–t. Like, this is beyond a parody.”
The 33-year-old continued to share her thoughts on the ordeal. She adds: “That you care about Mother Earth and it’s about Mother Earth, and you’re going up in a spaceship that is built and paid for by a company that’s singlehandedly destroying the planet?”
Ratajkowski encouraged her followers to reflect on the state of the world and consider all the unnecessary resources that went into sending those women into space. She says: “For what? What was the marketing there?” Emily concluded her video by saying how “disgusted” she was by the whole thing.
The Blue Origin trip, which lasted mere minutes, claims that “during flight, the only by-product of New Shepard’s engine combustion is water vapor, with no carbon emission.” However, many experts remain sceptical that the company’s flights are as sustainable as advertised. As after all, the flight did still produce water vapor.
Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality at University College London, Eloise Marasi, told the BBC that water vapor is still a greenhouse gas, which is not meant to be released into the atmosphere. She explains: “It alters the chemistry of the stratosphere, depleting the ozone layer and also forms clouds that affect climate.”
Many have taken to Reddit to share their thoughts on the short space mission, with one user commenting: “This event was so infuriating. The passengers said it made them ‘realise how important the planet was.’ And having Katy Perry state how she connected with the ‘divine feminine.’ That couldn’t have happened without massively contributing to the same issue they are supposedly bringing awareness to.”
Another user added: “The whole thing was incredibly cringe. I’m sure it’s cool to see the earth from that high and be weightless. But it was an 11-minute amusement ride. Stop calling yourselves astronauts and talking about string theory.”
Although this journey represents a meaningful step forward in space travel, making such trips more accessible to the public, it’s undeniable that the Blue Origin New Shepard NS-31 mission occurred at an unfortunate time and may not be remembered in the way they had anticipated.
