But while the world watched Katy Perry and her high profile crew-mates float weightlessly above Earth, a different narrative was brewing online and now, it’s reached boiling point.
Social media is ablaze with speculation after a curious clip from the mission’s landing began circulating, showing what some claim is the ultimate giveaway that the entire Blue Origin spaceflight was staged.
The footage in question shows the capsule hatch being subtly opened from inside by the returning crew only to be quickly shut again moments before Jeff Bezos himself arrives on the scene with a specialised tool to “officially” open the door.
For conspiracy theorists, this was the spark they’d been waiting for.
“It was fake. The girls opened the door to begin with from the inside. Then they waited, and Jeff Bezos stepped up with a tool and acted like he unlocked the latch,”
one viewer claimed on X (formerly Twitter), sharing the viral clip that has since racked up millions of views.
Others chimed in, branding the sequence
“the nail in the coffin,” with one user insisting, “Doesn’t look like a pressurized hatch to me. More like a flimsy door.”
Despite Blue Origin’s confirmation that the NS-31 mission successfully crossed the boundary of space 66.5 miles above Earth and safely returned to West Texas after its 11-minute journey, doubts continue to surge.
Psychologists say the nature of the mission made it ripe for skepticism.
“Space is vast, complex, and largely inaccessible to most people — in this context, it becomes easier for some individuals to question the official narrative,”
said Dr. Daniel Jolley, a conspiracy psychology expert from the University of Nottingham.
The controversy isn’t limited to just the hatch incident. Critics are also pointing to the capsule’s oddly pristine condition post-landing.
“There’s no scorch marks from re-entry,” one theorist posted. “The paint is untouched. How is that possible?”
Blue Origin engineers have previously clarified that the New Shepard capsule, unlike orbital spacecraft, does not undergo the extreme heat conditions of traditional re-entry hence, no burns or marks. But for online skeptics, the explanation hasn’t cooled their suspicions.
Adding fuel to the fire are accusations of occult symbolism. Several social media users pointed out “satanic” designs on the mission patch and even alleged that Perry’s involvement was part of an orchestrated ritual.
“Katy Perry has been part of the Satan scandal for a while now,” one post claimed. “What else would she be doing during Passover except mocking God?”
Even the design of the mission patch, which depicted a rocket flanked by female silhouettes, was dissected and flipped by theorists, with some saying it resembled a satanic goat and an upside-down cross.
But beyond the conspiracies, experts say these viral moments expose a deeper issue.
“People turn to conspiracy theories when they feel uncertain or out of control,”
said Professor Karen Douglas from the University of Kent.
“Events involving celebrities, billionaires, and space travel combine powerful psychological triggers. They make people feel excluded from the truth — so they build their own.”
Still, no credible space agency or independent observer has found evidence to support the idea that the mission was staged.
In reality, the NS-31 mission launched from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One on April 14 at 08:30 local time.
The crew included Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, pop star Katy Perry, CBS’s Gayle King, activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and aerospace entrepreneur Aisha Bowe.
After reaching suborbital space, they experienced a few minutes of weightlessness before the capsule parachuted safely back to Earth. The door, according to NASA protocol, is designed to be operable from both inside and outside.
So, was it really fake?
Or are people just seeing what they want to believe?
In a world where a glitch in a hatch sequence can become the seed of a global conspiracy, the truth may be less exciting than fiction but it seems far harder to accept.
Featured Image Credit: (Blue Origin)
