A Space Flight Meant to Inspire

The Blue Origin mission, dubbed NS-31, was marketed as a historic event—an all-female crew venturing into space to highlight the role of women in aeronautics. Perry, joined by King, Sánchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics researcher Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn, blasted off on Jeff Bezos’ New Shepard rocket for a brief suborbital journey. The mission lasted just 10 minutes and 21 seconds, during which Perry sang Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” to her fellow passengers and held up the setlist for her upcoming Lifetimes Tour to an in-flight camera, a move that would later fuel much of the mockery.

Perry framed the flight as a deeply personal and symbolic moment. In a post-flight interview, she spoke of feeling “super connected to love” and emphasized the importance of “making space for future women and taking up space and belonging.” She described the trip as an “important moment” for commercial space travel, aligning herself with a narrative of empowerment and progress. However, the public response was far from what she had hoped, with many seeing the mission as a tone-deaf publicity stunt rather than a meaningful contribution to women’s advancement in space exploration.

The Backlash: From Criticism to Global Memes

Almost immediately after the flight, Perry became the target of intense criticism. The mission, while celebrated by Blue Origin as a step forward, was widely panned as an ostentatious display of wealth and privilege at a time when millions are struggling to afford basic necessities. Social media platforms like X erupted with posts mocking the brevity of the trip and questioning its feminist credentials. One user sarcastically remarked, “Katy Perry went to space for 11 minutes and called it feminism—meanwhile, real astronauts are out here doing six-hour spacewalks,” referencing the all-female spacewalk by NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain on May 1, 2025, which lasted over six hours and was the fifth of its kind in history.

The memes came fast and furious. A viral clip of Perry dropping to her knees and kissing the ground after landing—shared widely on X—prompted reactions ranging from amusement to disdain. One user called it a “clown show,” while another dubbed Perry the “OG female astronaut” in a sarcastic jab at her lack of credentials compared to actual astronauts. Fast food chain Wendy’s joined the fray, posting a now-infamous tweet that read, “Why didn’t Katy Perry stay in space?” The post, which sparked its own wave of memes, was later addressed by Wendy’s amid backlash, but the damage was done. Even celebrities like Olivia Wilde, Amy Schumer, and Kesha weighed in, with Kesha posing with a Wendy’s drink in a subtle dig at Perry, and comedian Lily Allen initially criticizing the flight as a “feminist” farce before issuing an apology for her “internalized misogyny.”

The memes didn’t stop at Perry’s space flight. Her decision to promote her Lifetimes Tour during the mission—holding up the setlist to the camera—became a focal point of ridicule. Posts on X mocked her for turning a supposed scientific endeavor into a marketing opportunity, with one user quipping, “Katy Perry went to space to sell concert tickets—now that’s a new low.” The online vitriol painted Perry as a caricature of celebrity excess, with her 11-minute trip becoming a symbol of everything critics found wrong with the burgeoning era of space tourism.

A Career in Crisis: The Timing Couldn’t Be Worse

The space flight debacle couldn’t have come at a worse time for Perry, whose career has been on shaky ground since the release of her album 143 in 2024. Once a dominant force in pop music, with hits like “Roar” and “Firework” cementing her as a global superstar, Perry has struggled to regain her footing. 143 was intended as a triumphant comeback after a five-year hiatus, but it was met with scathing reviews. The lead single, “Woman’s World,” was criticized for its regressive music video and Perry’s controversial decision to work with producer Dr. Luke, who faced sexual assault allegations from Kesha in 2014. The album’s other singles, including “Lifetimes,” failed to chart significantly, and the music video for “Lifetimes” faced an investigation by Spanish authorities for environmental violations during filming.

Perry’s Lifetimes Tour, which kicked off in Mexico City on April 23, 2025, was meant to be a celebration of her new music and a return to her over-the-top, campy persona. The tour featured high-flying acrobatics, video game-inspired visuals, and a narrative centered on empowerment. However, the online backlash overshadowed any positive reception. Clips of Perry’s dance moves, described as “cringe,” went viral, with one user on X noting, “Maybe instead of going to space, she should have been rehearsing her fight scene moves a little more.” The tour’s high-tech elements, while ambitious, were dismissed as “messy” by some fans, who felt Perry’s performances lacked the artistic vision of her earlier work.

The space flight memes only amplified these criticisms, linking Perry’s perceived lack of authenticity in her music with her actions in space. Her emotional response to the backlash—admitting on April 30, 2025, that she felt “battered and bruised” and like a “human Piñata”—did little to quell the storm. In a lengthy social media comment, she thanked her fans for their support, writing, “I’m on a human journey playing the game of life with an audience of many and sometimes I fall but … I get back up.” However, the public’s appetite for memes and mockery showed no signs of slowing, with the space flight becoming a shorthand for Perry’s broader career struggles.

The Fallout: A Las Vegas Residency Blow and Public Perception

The repercussions of the space flight controversy have extended beyond online ridicule. On May 17, 2025, reports emerged that Resorts World Las Vegas had decided not to renew Perry’s “PLAY” residency, a significant blow to her career. Sources revealed that the residency, which ran from 2021 to 2023, had been a financial loss for the venue, with Perry being paid between $750,000 and $900,000 per show but underperforming in ticket sales. The decision not to invite her back was attributed to the ongoing backlash from her Blue Origin trip and the poor reception of her Lifetimes Tour, further cementing the narrative of Perry’s decline.

Public perception of Perry has shifted dramatically. Once celebrated for her chart-topping hits and playful persona, she is now seen by many as out of touch with the cultural moment. The space flight memes have crystallized a broader sentiment that Perry’s attempts at reinvention—whether through her music, her tour, or her foray into space tourism—have fallen flat. Fans and critics alike have drawn comparisons to other pop stars like Chappell Roan, who achieved global success in 2024 by embracing authenticity and speaking out against toxic fandoms, a stark contrast to Perry’s perceived missteps.

The incident has also sparked a broader conversation about the ethics of space tourism. Critics, including comedian Lily Allen and reality TV star Gabby Windey, have pointed out the dissonance between Perry’s claims of caring about “Mother Earth” and her participation in a mission backed by a company accused of contributing to environmental harm. Windey, on her podcast Long Winded, sarcastically remarked, “OK, Katy Perry going to space. All women crew. Oh, wow, we’re gonna send all the girls to space in case they blow up. This is not about empowerment.” The sentiment echoed a growing frustration with the ultra-wealthy using space travel as a status symbol while millions struggle to afford basic necessities.

A Star Still Shining?

Despite the humiliation, some argue that Perry’s ability to remain in the spotlight—even as a target of mockery—proves her enduring star power. On April 29, 2025, a chief correspondent wrote, “She is owed consideration not just for her past achievements but for the painful fact that she compels as much in failure as she previously did in success.” The correspondent noted that Perry’s space flight, though “wrongheaded,” and her emotional moments on stage, such as crying while performing a song from her 2010 album Teenage Dream, still hold the public’s attention, a testament to her lasting impact as a pop culture figure.

However, the road ahead for Perry remains uncertain. The global meme phenomenon has exposed vulnerabilities in her career that may be difficult to overcome. Her attempts to address the backlash—whether by defending the space flight or emphasizing her human side—have been met with skepticism, and the financial and professional setbacks, such as the loss of her Las Vegas residency, suggest that her comeback may be more challenging than anticipated. As the Lifetimes Tour continues, Perry will need to find a way to reconnect with fans and reclaim her narrative, or risk becoming a cautionary tale of celebrity excess in the digital age.

Conclusion: A Lesson in the Power of the Internet

Katy Perry’s space flight, meant to be a moment of triumph, has instead turned into a global meme that has humiliated her on an unprecedented scale. The 11-minute journey, mocked relentlessly online, has become a symbol of her broader career struggles, from the poor reception of her album 143 to the “cringe” moments of her Lifetimes Tour. The incident underscores the power of the internet to amplify criticism and hold celebrities accountable, often in ways that are harsh and unforgiving. For Perry, the challenge now is to rise above the memes and prove that she can still roar—or risk being defined by a galactic misstep that the world can’t seem to forget.