Unhinged

by

Katy Perry knows the world is gonna hear her roar—and she’s okay with it.

Recently, a 40-year-old individual wrote a heartfelt message to their fans, expressing gratitude for their backing during the criticism surrounding her space flight with Blue Origin. Accompanying her on this mission were fellow crew members Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez. She wanted to assure everyone that she has been managing well in the aftermath.

In the comments on a fan’s account, Katy first expressed gratitude to her followers for joining her on this shared adventure. She added that she could stay authentic, keeping her heart open and honest, thanks in large part to their strong connection.

I wanted to assure you that I’m doing well. I’ve put in considerable effort in understanding myself, distinguishing reality from illusion, and identifying what truly matters to me. When the digital world tries to reduce me to a punching bag, I respond with patience and send them love because I recognize the pain so many people are experiencing online, as it often serves as a repository for the unbalanced and wounded.

As a devoted follower, I, Katy (sharing a 4-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove, with my partner Orlando Bloom), have articulated that the therapeutic journey of embarking on my Lifetimes world tour and performing alongside fans each night, has been truly transformative for me.

She expressed, “I’m far from perfect, and I’ve chosen to avoid using that term. I’m simply on a human journey, navigating life’s game with a wide-ranging spectatorship. Occasionally, I stumble, but…

…I always get back up, dust myself off, and continue playing this intricate game. Somehow, amidst the scars and bruises of my journey, I persist in seeking the light. In that illumination, a new level seems to open up.

In a post, Katy shared a photo revealing a billboard sponsored by her global fans and put up in Times Square for 24 hours, celebrating her as she kicked off her concert tour.

In today’s post, we wanted to echo Katy Perry’s sentiment about love being the universal key. We also felt it important to tell her that her fans’ affection for her knows no bounds, is steadfast, and endures forever.

On previous occasions too, I’ve found myself responding to criticism about my 11-minute space voyage. Interestingly enough, I’ve chosen to capitalize on this experience by integrating a space theme into my ongoing tour.

During her concert in Mexico City on April 23, Katy Perry posed a question to the audience, “Has anyone here ever been told that their dreams were foolish or absurd?

Because, after all, Katy has been candid about how getting to space has long been a dream of hers.

For nearly two decades now, my dream has been to venture into space, and that aspiration remains undimmed. Over the years, I’ve been exploring all commercially viable avenues for this journey. When Blue Origin initially discussed commercial space travel, I was among the first to express interest, eagerly raising my hand to be part of this historic endeavor.

To discover more about the women who joined Katy on her adventure, such as NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn, continue reading.

Established by Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, in 2000, Blue Origin is a private space firm located in Kent, Washington. The company’s website explains that their mission is to utilize the resources of space to benefit our planet and extend human presence beyond Earth through enhanced transportation and the development of habitable destinations within low Earth orbit.

Blue Origin asserts they are working towards these objectives by constructing reusable rockets and engines to decrease the expense of space travel, make it more affordable for civilians, and promote sustainability. During a 2016 Pathfinder Awards talk, Bezos stated their vision is to have millions of people living and working in space while reducing the cost of space travel significantly by focusing on reusability.

However, the company does not disclose prices for booking a seat on one of its flights on its website; it does mention that a $150,000 deposit is required.

Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, who made history by being the first American to journey into space in 1961, “New Shepard” is what Blue Origin refers to as a “completely reusable, suborbital rocket system designed for human space travel.”

Six individuals can occupy New Shepard’s pressurized crew capsule. However, unlike traditional spacecraft, there’s no pilot seat, as the vehicle is fully autonomous – devoid of pilots. This information can be found on Blue Origin’s website.

New Shepard made its debut in 2015 as part of a flight test program that consisted of 16 successful tests, which were concluded in 2021.

In July of that year, the founder of Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos, along with his brother Mark, participated in New Shepard’s inaugural human flight, joining an auction winner who secured a seat for an impressive $28 million. Later in the same year, William Shatner and Michael Strahan were among those who embarked on the vehicle (on separate missions).

The impending voyage will mark New Shepard’s 31st mission (hence the name NS-31) and its 11th human flight.

The NS-31 mission of New Shepard is scheduled to take off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One, nestled within the Guadalupe Mountain range in the West Texas desert, on April 14th. According to their website, the launch window begins at 8:30 a.m. (Central Daylight Time).

As an ardent space enthusiast, I can’t help but be thrilled by the words on Blue Origin’s website! They describe a breathtaking journey that astronauts aboard New Shepard embark on, surpassing three times the speed of sound. This marvelous craft swiftly crosses the Kármán line, an internationally recognized threshold to space, located 100 km (62 miles) above our humble Earth. Once they’ve breached this boundary, the crew unfastens their seatbelts, experiencing weightlessness, and gazing upon our beautiful planet with awe. The trip concludes gracefully as they descend under parachutes. In terms of duration, Blue Origin anticipates the entire adventure to last approximately 11 minutes!

 

The team for mission NS-31 includes singer Katy Perry, morning show host Gayle King from CBS, film producer Kerianne Flynn, Aisha Bowe who founded STEMBoard and previously worked as a NASA rocket scientist, bioastronautics researcher and activist Amanda Nguyen, and former TV anchor Lauren Sánchez (who is engaged to Bezos). Notably, this will be the first all-female spaceflight crew since 1963 when Valentina Tereshkova from the Soviet Union embarked on a solo mission, making her the first woman in space.

Nguyen is set to make history as the inaugural Vietnamese woman to travel to space, while Bowe will be etched in the annals of history as the first person of Bahamian descent to venture where few have dared to go before.

As a passionate team member on this mission, I’m driven by various personal motivations. For instance, I aspire to inspire future generations, especially my daughter, much like Perry, who wishes to remind her child, Daisy, shared with fiancé Orlando Bloom, that dreaming big is limitless and anyone can achieve their dreams, regardless of one’s background, ethnicity, economic status, or educational background.

Similarly, King, who has openly expressed her apprehensions, aims to inspire people to venture beyond their comfort zones. In her words, “Once I do it, the doors will open for so many others who may have hesitated but now find themselves eagerly joining in.”

Nguyen, on the other hand, sees this opportunity as a chance to realize a long-deferred dream. After dedicating years to fighting for sexual assault survivors’ rights and passing the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights in Congress and the United Nations, she now seeks to honor her pre-traumatized self by pursuing her passion for astrophysics.

As reported by Good Morning America, every team member is scheduled to travel to the launch location well ahead of the mission, where they’ll participate in a series of training activities. These sessions will involve getting properly fitted for their flight suits, acquainting themselves with the spacecraft, learning effective communication methods with ground control, and thoroughly reviewing safety procedures.

While the team as a whole has been preparing for the mission, some crew members like Bowe and Flynn took personal initiatives to enhance their physical readiness. For instance, Bowe intensified his training over the last year, completed a NASTAR simulation that mimicked flight conditions, and scheduled a fighter jet flight. Similarly, Flynn underwent several zero-gravity simulations and experienced up to five Gs of pressure through NASTAR training in Philadelphia.

1. Nancy Conrad, who is married to Pete Conrad, the third man to walk on the moon, serves as a mentor and inspiration for Bowe. She mentioned to the magazine that her journey mirrors Pete’s in many ways, and so she wants Bowe to carry this flag. Thanks to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Bowe has the Apollo 12 flag, which will accompany her on the flight.

2. Bowe is also taking along plant samples from Winston-Salem State University’s Astrobotany Lab and dehydrated conch chowder as a tribute to The Bahamas. In addition to these items, she is packing personal belongings that hold significant meaning for her.

3. During an interview with ELLE, Nguyen revealed that she will be carrying her mother’s shells from the island she fled and a promise she made to herself after surviving an assault. After leaving the hospital, Nguyen wrote down “Never ever give up” and stuck it to her laptop as a reminder during her recovery and fight for her rights. She intends to keep this promise with her on the flight as well.

4. According to her Instagram posts, Nguyen will be bringing along several personal items, including the pen that former President Barack Obama used to sign the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Act, a coin from the Nguyen dynasty, and seeds from the Freetown cotton tree.

Stars have conveyed encouraging messages to the crew, with King receiving a farewell video from CBS Mornings, featuring stars like Tom Hanks, Megan Rapinoe, Bill Nye, Drew Barrymore, among others. Drew Barrymore wished King luck, saying she couldn’t wait to discuss things with her once she returns home.

Others, such as Olivia Munn, have voiced their criticism. On Today with Jenna & Friends on April 3, she questioned the mission, stating that there are more pressing issues in the world and that it’s expensive to go to space when many can’t even afford basic necessities like eggs. She also wondered what the mission was accomplishing, calling it somewhat self-indulgent.

King acknowledges the criticism regarding Bezos and Blue Origin, but she believes this mission transcends one man and one company. She stated that while there are questions about some of his decisions, in this case, the mission is bigger than just one individual or organization. She separates the two aspects of his life, arguing that it’s possible to engage in both activities simultaneously, and both can be valid.

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2025-04-30 15:54