The internet has been buzzing with controversy after Blue Origin launched its latest suborbital flight — this time with an all-female crew featuring high-profile names like pop icon Katy Perry and media personality Lauren Sanchez. The mission, hailed by mainstream media as historic and empowering, lasted only 11 minutes, during which the crew reportedly crossed the Kármán line — the widely accepted boundary of space, sitting 100 kilometers above Earth.
But while headlines celebrated the symbolic and technological success, the digital undercurrent told a very different story.
Across social platforms, from TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) to Reddit and YouTube, conspiracy theories exploded. People began questioning not just the legitimacy of the mission, but whether it happened at all. One phrase in particular began circulating virally: “Worst CGI ever.”
The Mission That Sparked a Digital Storm
Blue Origin, founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, has conducted several successful suborbital flights in the past, often carrying wealthy passengers and celebrities. This latest launch was marketed heavily, not only because of the high-profile individuals involved but also for its all-female crew — a first in the company’s short but high-visibility history.
The six women, including Katy Perry and Lauren Sanchez, were seen boarding the rocket. Livestream footage showed the New Shepard vehicle blasting off, reaching the edge of space, and safely returning to Earth. The mission was completed in just under 11 minutes.
Yet something about it didn’t sit right with a portion of the public.
A Viral Backlash: “Fake Space” and Suspicious Details
Soon after the livestream, amateur video analysts began dissecting the footage frame by frame. Some pointed out what they believed to be “inconsistent shadows”, others said the smoke trail didn’t behave naturally, and many claimed the background “looked like green screen effects” rather than real space.
One viral post read:
“Compare this with NASA footage from the ’90s. This looks like a cheap sci-fi movie.”
Another said:
“Katy Perry in space? Please. She was probably sitting in a studio chair with LED lights and wind machines.”
The hashtag #FakeSpace started trending, followed by #BlueOriginHoax and #CGISpaceFlight.
These aren’t new claims — space hoax theories have been around for decades. From the Moon landing skeptics to flat-earthers, there’s a long-standing culture online dedicated to questioning anything that comes from space agencies or billionaires. What’s different now is how fast, widespread, and persuasive these claims have become — especially when they involve celebrities and viral optics.
Why Do People Believe It’s Fake?
There are several psychological and social factors at play:
Distrust of Institutions and Elites
In an age where political, corporate, and media trust is at an all-time low, any project associated with billionaires like Jeff Bezos is immediately under scrutiny. When you add celebrity spectacle to the mix, it starts to resemble — at least in appearance — manufactured PR more than scientific achievement.
The Rise of Deepfakes and CGI
Today’s digital effects are so advanced that creating lifelike space scenes in a studio is more possible than ever. For many, the question isn’t “Did it happen?” but “Could they have faked it if they wanted to?” And the answer to that, increasingly, is yes.
The Nature of the Broadcast
The entire mission lasted just 11 minutes. There was no extensive press Q&A, no in-capsule footage showing Earth from orbit, no raw data for public analysis — just curated visuals. To some, that felt like a red flag.
Celebrity Involvement
For skeptics, the presence of Katy Perry and Lauren Sanchez was the final straw. “Why would pop stars go to space?” they argue. “This isn’t about science — it’s about selling a narrative.”
Blue Origin’s Silence: Smart Strategy or Missed Opportunity?
At the time of writing, Blue Origin has made no official comment addressing the conspiracy theories. Their social media continues to promote the mission as a success, sharing photos, quotes from the crew, and clips of liftoff.
But for those already doubting the mission’s legitimacy, that silence is suspicious.
In today’s attention economy, not answering is sometimes seen as hiding. Every hour without clarification is another opportunity for speculation to thrive. In the court of public opinion, optics often matter more than evidence.
Are We Living in a Post-Truth Era of Space?
This controversy reflects something larger: the growing gap between technological reality and public perception. We live in a time where footage of the real world looks fake and fake videos look real. People are no longer sure who or what to believe. It’s no longer enough to show the public something — now you have to convince them that it’s real.
Space was once the ultimate