Ed Sheeran Turned Down Offer to Perform the “First Gig in Space”

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Ed Sheeran isn’t pressing play on the idea of going to space.

The Grammy-winning artist was once asked to perform a concert in space, but he declined the offer, and here’s the reason why.

I was so fascinated to hear Ed talking about space travel on BBC Radio 2 with Scott Mills recently. He admitted it genuinely scares him right now, and honestly, I totally get it! He explained he doesn’t want to go until it’s as commonplace and safe as a flight to France – when thousands of people have already done it and you can just book a trip online. That sounds like the perfect time to me – safe, accessible, and a dream come true!

While some people would love to be among the first to perform in space, the singer known as “Sapphire” isn’t interested in being a space tourism pioneer.

Ed, who has two young children, Lyra and Jupiter, with his wife Cherry Seaborn, said he doesn’t want to be a test subject for space travel because it’s still risky. He’d much rather travel to places on Earth he hasn’t seen yet, like Greenland, which he’s always wanted to visit. He feels there are plenty of exciting destinations right here on our planet.

Ultimately, the 34-year-old values watching his children grow up far more than going to space on a rocket.

He explained he wasn’t willing to take any chances, even for a world record. His family was more important, and he needed to be there for his children.

While Ed wasn’t interested in performing his music in space, fellow singer Katy Perry saw things differently.

She recently flew to space with Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn on a Blue Origin flight. While up there for about four minutes, the 40-year-old took the chance to sing Louis Armstrong’s classic song, “What a Wonderful World.”

She told Blue Origin that she’d performed the song before, and it felt meant to be. ‘It’s like something guided me to sing it here,’ she said, ‘because I never imagined I’d be singing it in space!’

“It’s about making space for future women,” she added. “This is all for the benefit of Earth.”

Katy’s recent trip has sparked a variety of responses, but she’s stated that negative comments online don’t bother her.

To learn more about the Blue Origin spaceflight, keep reading…

Blue Origin, a private space company founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000, is based in Kent, Washington. The company’s goal is to use space to help Earth and expand humanity’s reach, making space travel easier and creating places for people to live and work in orbit.

Blue Origin plans to achieve this by building rockets and engines that can be used again and again, lowering the cost of space travel and making it more accessible. Bezos has stated their vision is to have “millions of people living and working in space,” and that reusability is key to making that happen.

Currently, Blue Origin doesn’t publicly list the price of a flight, but requires a $150,000 deposit to book a seat.

New Shepard, named after astronaut Alan Shepard-the first American in space in 1961-is a reusable rocket designed to carry people on short trips to space. It can comfortably seat six passengers, but it doesn’t need a pilot-the rocket is fully automated.

Blue Origin began testing New Shepard in 2015, completing 16 successful test flights by 2021. In July 2021, Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, and an auction winner who paid $28 million, were on the first crewed flight. Later that year, William Shatner and Michael Strahan also experienced space travel aboard New Shepard, on separate flights.

The upcoming flight, designated NS-31, will be New Shepard’s 31st launch and its 11th with people on board.

Blue Origin plans to launch its New Shepard spacecraft on a mission called NS-31 on April 14th. The launch is scheduled to take place from the company’s Launch Site One in the West Texas desert, near the Guadalupe Mountains, with a launch window opening at 8:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time.

According to Blue Origin, passengers on the New Shepard rocket travel to space at over three times the speed of sound. They cross the Kármán line – the internationally accepted edge of space, located 62 miles above Earth – and experience weightlessness while enjoying views of the planet. The journey back to Earth is smooth, using parachutes to ensure a gentle landing. The entire flight lasts approximately 11 minutes.

 

The crew for the NS-31 mission is a groundbreaking group including singer Katy Perry, CBS Mornings host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, STEMBoard founder and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics researcher and activist Amanda Nguyen, and former TV anchor Lauren Sánchez (who is engaged to Jeff Bezos). This mission marks the first all-female spaceflight crew since 1963, when Valentina Tereshkova of the Soviet Union became the first woman in space with a solo flight. Amanda Nguyen will be the first Vietnamese woman to travel to space, and Aisha Bowe will be the first person of Bahamian heritage to reach space.

Each woman on this mission has a personal motivation for participating. In a recent interview with *ELLE*, many of them shared their desire to be role models for future generations. Katy Perry wants to show her daughter, Daisy, that she can achieve anything, regardless of her background. She hopes to instill in Daisy the belief that dreams have no limits.

Meanwhile, Christina King, who admitted to feeling anxious, hopes to inspire others to push past their fears and try new things. She believes that by taking this step, she can open doors for others who might be hesitant.

For Mai Nguyen, this mission is a chance to revisit a long-held dream. She studied astrophysics at Harvard and MIT and worked at NASA, but life circumstances led her down a different path. After experiencing sexual assault, she dedicated herself to advocating for survivors, drafting and passing legislation at both the congressional and UN levels. Now, after a decade of activism, she’s returning to her passion for space, wanting to reconnect with the person she was before the trauma.

As reported by *Good Morning America*, the entire crew will arrive at the launch site several days before liftoff to prepare. This training includes getting their flight suits tailored, learning the ins and outs of the spacecraft, practicing communication with mission control, and reviewing all safety procedures.

While the team underwent official training, some crew members took extra steps to prepare for the mission. Bowe shared with *ELLE* magazine, just weeks before launch, that she’d been training for a year and recently increased the intensity. She completed a NASTAR simulation, which gave her a realistic experience of what to expect during the flight. Bowe emphasized the importance of physical preparation, wanting her body to be accustomed to the sensations of space travel. She was also looking forward to an upcoming fighter jet flight. Flynn also prepared by participating in several zero-gravity simulation flights. These involved flying in a modified Boeing 747 that flew in a parabolic arc, creating brief periods of weightlessness. She explained this helped her get used to the feeling of floating and that she anticipated enjoying the weightlessness in space. Like Bowe, Flynn also completed the NASTAR training, where she experienced forces up to five times the normal pull of gravity.

Oh my gosh, you guys, I’m practically bursting with excitement just thinking about what these incredible women are bringing with them! King is bringing photos, which is so sweet, and Sánchez is taking a Flynn plushie from her *amazing* children’s book, ‘The Fly Who Flew to Space’! But Bowe… Bowe is taking something truly special. She’s carrying a flag given to her by Nancy Conrad, Pete Conrad’s wife – you know, the *third* man on the moon! Nancy feels Bowe’s journey is so similar to Pete’s, and it’s just… breathtaking. And that’s not all! She’s also bringing plant samples and dehydrated conch chowder as a tribute to The Bahamas! Seriously, how cool is that?

And then there’s Nguyen. Her story just gets me right here. She’s bringing shells from the island her mother fled, which is so powerful. But the most incredible thing? She’s taking a note she wrote to herself after her assault – ‘Never ever give up’ – that she’s kept with her through everything, from graduation to fighting for her rights. She’s going to look at it during the flight! It’s unbelievably inspiring. Oh, and according to her Instagram, she’s also bringing the pen President Obama used to sign the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Act, a coin from the Nguyen dynasty, and seeds from a Freetown cotton tree! I mean, these women are taking pieces of their hearts, their history, and their hopes with them. It’s just… everything!

Several celebrities have shared their thoughts on the recent space mission. Stars like Tom Hanks, Megan Rapinoe, Bill Nye, and Drew Barrymore sent encouraging video messages to the crew. Drew Barrymore expressed her excitement to hear about their experiences upon their return.

However, not everyone is supportive. Olivia Munn voiced her concerns on *Today with Jenna & Friends*, questioning the timing and purpose of the mission given pressing issues facing the world. She also highlighted the significant cost of space travel, contrasting it with the financial struggles of many people.

Munn further questioned the mission’s value, suggesting it felt excessive.

Correspondent Ginger King acknowledges the criticism surrounding billionaire Jeff Bezos and the perception that the mission is self-promotion for him and his company, Blue Origin. She admitted to having her own reservations about some of Bezos’s decisions, but believes this particular mission has broader significance. King argues it’s possible to support space exploration while also acknowledging important issues on Earth, stating it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation.

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2025-09-17 22:48