Katy Perry’s space flight aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket has quickly turned into a topic of fierce debate and conspiracy theories.
The mission, which took place on April 17, 2025, has prompted skeptics to question its legitimacy, claiming that the entire mission could have been staged.
Social media users have zeroed in on an image showing what they believe to be a mannequin aboard the New Shepard capsule, sparking a new wave of skepticism.
The Viral Image and the Conspiracy Theories
A social media post showing what looks like a “fake hand” onboard the spacecraft has fueled the rumors.
The image, which circulated widely online, shows a synthetic-looking hand through the window of the New Shepard capsule, prompting one conspiracy theorist on X (formerly Twitter) to declare: “Something is definitely wrong with the Blue Origin ‘Space Flight’ that Katy Perry was on.”
Many quickly latched onto this as solid proof of a staged mission.
However, the story took an interesting turn. While the conspiracists were correct in identifying a mannequin hand, it turns out that this was not a recent image from Perry’s flight.
Instead, it was a picture from a 2017 test flight of the New Shepard capsule, which featured a mannequin known as “Mannequin Skywalker.”
The image had simply resurfaced and was mistakenly linked to Perry’s flight.
The Crew of the NS-31 Mission
Despite the viral photo confusion, the flight was indeed real, and on board were several prominent figures, including Katy Perry herself, Lauren Sánchez (Jeff Bezos’ fiancé), and CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King.
The 11-minute flight launched from Blue Origin’s site in Texas and carried a diverse all-female crew.
The mission, dubbed NS-31, also included film producer Kerianne Flynn, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.
While the mission was streamed live and documented extensively, a significant portion of the online audience has continued to express doubt, suggesting that the entire flight was fabricated and that CGI was used to simulate the launch and space journey.
The Reality Behind the Conspiracy Claims
Upon closer inspection, it’s clear that the conspiracies around the flight don’t hold up.
The supposed “dummy hand” in the viral image was from the 2017 test flight, not the April 2025 mission.
Furthermore, the crew capsule on the test flight had different labeling than the one used in NS-31.
While the viral image made the rounds on social media, many users began pointing out discrepancies that indicated the picture was indeed from an earlier launch.
Yet, despite the clear evidence disproving these theories, rumors continue to spread.
One commenter even joked, “Mannequin confirmed,” as if the entire mission had been a hoax.
Why Do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?
The allure of conspiracy theories often stems from psychological needs, such as the desire for control or a sense of security.
People who feel uncertain about events or situations might turn to conspiracy theories as a way to make sense of the world around them.
High-profile events like space missions, especially those involving famous personalities like Katy Perry, are ripe targets for such speculation.
It’s also common for people to latch onto minor details or perceived inconsistencies as “proof” of larger conspiracies, even when the explanations are far more mundane.
This phenomenon has been observed throughout history, especially during significant or shocking events.
The Blue Origin Mission’s Technological Details
While some conspiracy theorists fixated on the supposed anomalies in the flight, the mission’s technical details tell a different story.
The New Shepard capsule, which reached a maximum altitude of 66.5 miles (107 km), barely crossed the Karman Line—the accepted boundary of space.
This means the capsule wasn’t subjected to the extreme conditions that spacecraft traveling to the International Space Station or beyond experience, such as the need for reinforced doors or high heat during re-entry.
For the crew of NS-31, the flight was brief but impactful, providing about two to four minutes of weightlessness before the capsule returned safely to Earth.
Despite the confusion surrounding certain aspects of the flight, it remains a significant achievement in commercial space travel.
Addressing the “Burn Marks” Controversy
One particular theory that gained traction was the idea that the capsule didn’t have any burn marks from re-entry, suggesting it had never actually left Earth’s atmosphere.
In reality, the New Shepard capsule’s altitude was not high enough for the intense re-entry heat that causes burns on other spacecraft.
The capsule only briefly passed the Karman Line before descending back to Earth, and its design doesn’t require the kind of re-entry heat shielding seen in missions to low Earth orbit.
Furthermore, the door of the capsule opened inward, and some people questioned this as further evidence of a hoax.
However, this is standard practice for spacecraft, which are designed to open from either side in the event of an emergency.
NASA’s safety protocols even specify that capsules must be operable within 60 seconds from either side.
The Larger Picture: Why Conspiracies Thrive
Ultimately, conspiracy theories about the Blue Origin flight are likely to continue circulating, fueled by a combination of curiosity, misinformation, and the human tendency to question what seems too extraordinary to be true.
For many, the idea that Katy Perry and her fellow crew members never really went to space offers a more tantalizing narrative than the simple truth.
As social media continues to amplify these doubts, it’s important to remember that skepticism can be healthy, but it should also be based on facts.
Until any credible evidence surfaces to the contrary, the NS-31 mission remains one of the latest milestones in the growing field of commercial space exploration.