Conspiracy theorists think they’ve found “definitive proof” Katy Perry’s brief trip to space on Tuesday didn’t actually take place. Internet sleuths are convinced footage showing a capsule door being shut once the capsule landed is a sign the controversial flight was a hoax.
Katy was over the moon as she journeyed to the stars on Jeff Bezos’s New Shepard NS-31, part of the Blue Origin space adventure. Amidst a backdrop of gripping suspense and fiery propulsion, fans could hear her exclaim “oh my god” when the rocket thrusted into the sky from its West Texas launch pad.
The American singer’s daughter Daisy Dove Bloom, four, was present to watch her mum and five other women tour space. However, the all-female crew’s landing has got some questioning if the historic trip was a stunt. Following the touchdown of the New Shepard capsule, Blue Origin’s founder Jeff Bezos enthusiastically unlatched the hatch using a specialised tool to welcome the all-female crew back to Earth.
Yet, footage from mere minutes prior distinctly shows the capsule door being opened from within before being quickly closed again. This odd occurrence has been pounced upon by conspiracy theorists who frequent the internet, declaring it as ‘definitive proof’ that the mission was a sham.
While there is minimal doubt that the Blue Origin rocket did indeed reach space, this incident highlights how meticulously planned the publicised event was intended to be. “I’d say this is the nail in the coffin. FAKE,” one sceptic penned online. Another argued: “It was fake. The girls opened the door to begin with from the inside with no tools. They then waited a few minutes, and Jeff Bezos stepped up with some sort of tool and acted like he unlocked the latch.”
As the allegation that the mission was an intricate hoax gains traction online, experts suggest that the Blue Origin launch created the ‘perfect storm’ for conspiracy theories.
Dr Daniel Jolley, a specialist in the psychology of conspiracies at the University of Nottingham, shared with MailOnline: “Space is vast, complex and largely inaccessible to most people – in this context, it becomes easier for some individuals to question the official narrative.”
Decked out with her six-woman crew, Katy became quite the space explorer, seen inside the vessel as it detached from the gantry amidst an intense countdown and blazing lift-off. Mission control confirmed the vessel “looks good” as the craft blitzed through the atmosphere, reaching “supersonic” speeds, with cheers from Perry echoing inside the capsule.
The thrill intensified as the two parts of the spacecraft parted ways high above at 28,000ft, offering Perry and her teammates a mesmerising view of the moon, which evoked another astonished “oh my god” from the star.
Free from the confines of gravity, the team experienced weightlessness before strapping back in for the trip home. Shortly after, both sections of the ship made their grand return to Earth; mission control heralding “booster touchdown” while the astronauts floated down with parachutes flaring to the applause of those on the ground.
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