Katy Perry just made history—sort of.
On Monday, April 14, 2025, the global pop superstar soared above Earth aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft, joining a crew of five other trailblazing women, including Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez. The all-women crew completed a quick, 11-minute suborbital journey, marking yet another milestone in celebrity space travel.
But as the crew celebrated their safe return, the internet had other ideas. In a bizarre twist, social media exploded with conspiracy theories claiming the launch was entirely staged. The hashtag #FakeSpaceTrip quickly trended, with users posting video breakdowns and skeptical hot takes.
🚀 What’s the Conspiracy?
Fueling the speculation is a clip showing the crew’s capsule landing in the Texas desert. A few seconds into the video, the capsule door appears to open briefly from the inside, only to be shut again. Moments later, Jeff Bezos reopens it using a special tool, dramatically welcoming the crew.
This sequence was enough for conspiracy theorists to cry foul.
“If it’s pressurized from space, how did someone open it from inside without a suit?” one user questioned.
“The rocket looks way too clean to have been in space,” another tweeted.
“That was just a simulation,” another claimed. “It’s all staged.”
From Flat Earth believers to anti-space skeptics, the accusations flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and TikTok. Posts questioning everything from the lack of space suits to clean exterior panels drew thousands of likes and shares.
📽️ Social Media Reactions: A Circus of Skepticism
Here’s just a sample of what’s circulating online:
🗨️ “It is a simulation. Did you see the fake Katy Perry space trip? They’re not even trying anymore.” — @Toolken211
🗨️ “Just another publicity stunt – fake space tour, no helmets, switched with plastic mannequins. Waist [sic] of our time.” — @Becky5816
🗨️ “Please check out this 10 min. analysis. This was staged, hello? Thank you Flat Earth Dave!” — @jptruthunbreaka
🔍 Fact Check: NASA and Experts Shut It Down
While the speculation might make for entertaining rabbit holes, experts have quickly debunked the rumors.
According to NASA spacecraft safety guidelines, updated in 2023, hatch doors on suborbital vehicles are designed to open from both inside and outside, precisely to ensure crew safety in emergencies. The moment where the door was cracked open likely reflected normal crew procedures, not a glitch in physics.
Furthermore, the entire mission was live-streamed in real-time by Blue Origin, with over 300,000 people watching the liftoff and descent. Every second of the flight—from launch to landing—was meticulously documented.
And no, space suits aren’t mandatory for suborbital flights under Blue Origin’s safety framework. The crew was in pressurized cabins, and the brief duration of the flight (less than 15 minutes from start to finish) didn’t warrant EVA (extravehicular activity) gear.
“It’s not unusual for some aspects to be choreographed for the cameras,” spaceflight analyst Dr. Jenna Alvarez told CNN. “But that doesn’t mean the mission was fake.”
🧠 Why Do People Think It Was Staged?
This isn’t the first time celebrity space travel has been met with disbelief. Ever since billionaires began entering the space race, public skepticism—and sometimes resentment—has followed.
In Katy Perry’s case, her larger-than-life persona, dramatic capsule reveal, and the absence of traditional “space gear” made the mission seem almost too polished for some viewers.
Add to that the public’s growing distrust in tech billionaires, media production, and government agencies, and you have a perfect recipe for viral conspiracy theories.
🌍 What This Says About Us (And Space Travel)
The reaction to Katy Perry’s Blue Origin mission says more about public psychology than it does about space tech. In an era dominated by deepfakes, AI-generated content, and staged PR stunts, audiences are conditioned to question everything—even legitimate science.
But let’s not forget:
🌟 Katy Perry really did leave Earth—even if only for a few minutes.
🚀 Blue Origin successfully launched its seventh crewed mission.
📡 The entire event was documented and verified in real-time.
So, was it fake?
Only if you think the moon landing was too.
⭐ Final Word
Katy Perry’s venture into space wasn’t just another PR stunt—it was a part of history. And while some viewers are busy analyzing shadows and hatch doors, the truth is much simpler: the stars aligned, and Katy Perry got her once-in-a-lifetime ticket to the edge of space.
Conspiracies aside, it’s a moment worth celebrating—and perhaps a sign of more pop stars preparing for liftoff in the future.
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