Gayle King, Katy Perry Defend All-Female Blue Origin Flight After Critics' Jabs, Jokes, Memes

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin flop is bigger than Katy Perry

The hyped all-women space tourism group was supposed to inspire girls. Instead, it was the butt of jokes. How did Blue Origin blow this?

'Wheeeeee I'm An Astronaut!' Exclaims Katy Perry During Ride On Disneyland Astro Orbiter

ANAHEIM, CA — Singer and TV personality Katy Perry inspired dozens Thursday after declaring she was an astronaut following a brief ride on Disneyland's Astro Orbiter.

Blue Origin Flight: Why Katy Perry and Co don't qualify as astronauts who went to space

The heart of the criticism lies in the nature of the mission. Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, while undeniably advanced, follows a suborbital flight path. It climbs to about 62 miles (100 kilometres) above sea level—just beyond the Kármán line, the internationally recognised boundary of space—before falling back to Earth. That short arc gives passengers about three to four minutes of weightlessness, not because they’ve escaped Earth’s gravity,…

Gayle King, Katy Perry Defend All-Female Blue Origin Flight After Critics' Jabs, Jokes, Memes

The celebrity passengers landed safely, but Jeff Bezos nearly face-planted, and Wendy's tweeted jokes at Perry.

Gayle King Defends ‘Expensive’ 11-Minute Space Flight After ‘Disrespectful’ Backlash

Gayle King has been on the receiving end of backlash and criticism from pop fans, outspoken celebrities, and even some of her own friends since returning to Earth from the 11-minute space flight she took on Monday with Jeff Bezos’ space tourism company Blue Origin. The broadcast journalist, who overcame an intense fear of flying to experience the trip, issued a challenge of her own to those expressing criticism: Blast off or back off. “My ques…

Gayle King Responds to Backlash Over ‘Expensive’ Blue Origin Flight: ‘I Wish People Would Do More Due Diligence’

Gayle King has responded to backlash over her Blue Origin flight on Monday, which saw an all-female crew including the “CBS Mornings” anchor, pop star Katy Perry and journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez take an eight-minute trip into space. Though its purpose was meant to bring attention to women in aeronautics, the flight via the […]