Katy Perry’s Space Trip: One Giant Leap for Fame, One Carbon Footprint for Earth

Pop-singer Katy Perry holds a daisy to the camera as a symbolic tribute to her four-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom. Image Credit via Blue Origin

Who would have thought that an all-female crew riding a rocket into space could turn out to be the center of backlash for environmental damage and celebrity space tourism? What started as a revolutionary move for women in STEM became a moment for public ridicule after it was revealed that the Blue Origin space trip was not as pollution-free as it claimed it was. 

Blue Origin boasts that its New Shepard rocket, which took the women to space, “is fueled by highly efficient liquid oxygen and hydrogen.” The company’s website states that “the only byproduct of New Shephard’s engine combustion is water vapor with no carbon emissions.” 

However, scientists were quick to dispute these claims, saying that the 11-minute trip was enough to “alter the atmosphere.” Eloise Marais, a professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality at University College London, said, “It alters the chemistry of the stratosphere, depleting the ozone layer, and also forms clouds that affect climate.” 

Additionally, while the rocket does not release carbon, water vapor injected into the stratosphere, located six to thirty-one miles above the surface, persists for years. It traps heat more effectively than at lower levels, contributing to global warming. 

The Blue Origin crew consisted of six prominent women: pop-singer Katy Perry, CEO of Blue Origin Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, TV presenter Gayle King, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn. 

The space mission was a huge step for women as it was the first all-female space mission since Russia’s Valentina Tereshkova embarked on a solo spaceflight in 1963. While the trip aimed to celebrate women’s achievements in science and space exploration, celebrities and the public alike have branded the trip as “tone-deaf” and “embarrassing”. Significant criticism was pointed toward Perry, especially, for her dramatic post-flight gestures and remarks about the trip. 

One moment in particular drew intense scrutiny from the public. As Perry stepped out of the rocket, she paused to hold a daisy to the sky, then dramatically dropped to her knees and kissed the Earth. Additionally, her actions inside the Blue Origin capsule have garnered backlash after promoting her upcoming tour setlist and singing “What a Wonderful World.”

In hindsight, the pop star reportedly wishes things had gone differently. An insider shared that Perry “regrets sharing the daisy with the world” and “wishes the video footage from inside the pod was never shown."

Needless to say, what could have been a meaningful leap for women in space and science was overshadowed by celebrity spectacle and environmental controversy. Instead of shining a light on the women who spent years building their careers in aerospace, activism, and engineering, the spotlight was hijacked by a celebrity’s space tourism moment. Ultimately, the mission was reduced to a publicity stunt, leaving more disappointment than inspiration for future women astronauts.