Katy Perry, who once crooned about alien romance in a banger from her iconic 2010 album Teenage Dream, ventured into space on Monday. The 13-time Grammy nominee joined Blue Origin’s first all-women flight crew aboard the Jeff Bezos-founded company’s 11th human mission, NS-31, which blasted off from West Texas and also included Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez.
What happened on Blue Origin’s space flight featuring Katy Perry and Gayle King?
The New Shepard rocket carried its passengers to space “more than three times the speed of sound,” according to Blue Origin’s explanation of the latest mission. The crew then crossed the boundary of space above Earth, known as the Kármán line, where they briefly experienced weightlessness while gazing down at our mind-bogglingly small rock of an existence.
What happened after the latest Blue Origin flight safely made its return to Earth?
Once Bezos opened the hatch, Perry was the second person to come out, immediately dropping to kiss the ground. As she exited, she also held up a daisy flower as a tribute to her and Orlando Bloom’s daughter, named Daisy. Each crew member gave a short interview after landing, with King notably sharing that Perry sang part of “What a Wonderful World,” the classic made famous by Louis Armstrong in 1967.
After touchdown, Perry said she felt “super connected to love” from the experience, which she confirmed would “for sure, 100 percent” inspire an upcoming song.
“I’ve covered that song in the past and obviously, like, my higher self is always steering the ship because I had no clue I would one day decided to sing a little bit of that in space,” Perry said. “It’s not about me. It’s not about me singing my songs. It’s about a collective energy.”
When asked where this ranked among her life experiences, Perry placed it at No. 2 behind becoming a mother.
“It is the highest high, and it is surrender to the unknown,” Perry added.
What did the world make of Blue Origin’s latest flight?
Before launch, some weren’t too excited about Blue Origin’s latest venture. Olivia Munn, for instance, downplayed the whole thing with a Magic Mountain comparison, calling it “a bit gluttonous.” On the day of the launch, many reactions focused on King, who in the veteran CBS News personality’s own words, was “terrified of flying” before joining the Blue Origin crew.
Others just came through with jokes, as you can see below.
