Revulsion at Katy Perry over her 'ultimate insult' to NASA astronauts stranded in space for 9 months
- READ MORE: Conspiracy theorists seize on Blue Origin door gaffe
Katy Perry is facing fresh criticism for her bizarre behavior after her space flight this week — with critics saying her antics were an insult to NASA's stranded astronauts.
The singer emerged from the Blue Origin capsule and immediately dropped to her knees to kiss the dirt, elated to be back on solid ground after her mere 11-minute-round trip, of which only three minutes were spent in microgravity.
While Perry may have viewed the gesture as a joyful moment, the public has slammed it as the 'ultimate insult' to NASA astronauts who were stranded in space for more than nine months and who now face a tumultuous health battle.
'I'd understand if Sunita Williams or Barry Wilmore kissed the ground after their return.. but Katy Perry after 11 minutes just seems like a joke,' one user shared on X.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore launched to the International Space Station (ISS) last June for what was scheduled to be an eight-day mission, but the Boeing Starliner capsule malfunctioned during the trip and left them stranded there for nine months.
The public flooded X with posts slamming the singer, saying the NASA astronauts' space mission was 'a sacrifice,' while Perry's was a 'stunt.'
'Katy Perry kissing the ground after being in space for just three minutes... wonder what the stranded astronauts have to say?' one X user shared.
Katy Perry immediately kissed the ground after spending just three minutes in space. The move has spark fury among the public who said it was an insult to NASA's astronauts who were stranded in space for more than nine months
It is not just the public slamming the Blue Origin flight and Perry, several A-list celebrities have also shared their distaste.
Model Emily Ratajkowski said: 'That space mission this morning? That's end time s**t. Like, this is beyond parody.
Actress Olivia Munn slammed the space mission ahead of its launch, saying:'I know that this is probably obnoxious - but like, it's so much money to go to space. You know, there's a lot of people that can't even afford eggs.'
Even fast-food chain Wendy's took a dig at Perry on social media, commenting on a picture of the singer kissing the ground: 'Can we send her back.'
Blue Origin's NS-31 mission launched from the company's Launch Site One about 30 miles north of Van Horn, Texas, at 9:30am local time.
On board were Jeff Bezos' fiancé Lauren Sánchez, Perry, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, activist Amanda Nguyen, and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.
The New Shepard rocket carried the capsule to the edge of space, 62 miles above Earth's surface, allowing the crew to experience a few minutes of weightlessness.
The capsule then made the return journey back to Earth, as the unfurling parachutes drew screams from the crew onboard.
All six women emerged with their arms held high and tears coming down their faces.
Sunita Williams (pictured) and Butch Wilmore were were initially scheduled for an eight-day stay on the International Space Station, but they were left for 286 days after their capsule malfunctioned
Pictured is Butch Wilmore being stretchered off to medical immediately after returning from space on March 18
'11 minutes is a joke. Katy Perry kissing the ground is just overacting,' one X user posted.
'She's acting like astronaut Sunita Williams and her team, who were stuck in space for 9 months. These are just celebrities enjoying a 3-minute joyride in space.'
Another user shared: 'What scientific contributions has Katy Perry made by taking this voyage? We celebrated the return of Sunita Williams from her mission.
'This isn't about gender—it's about celebrities doing pointless stunts just because they have the money to do so.'
Williams and Wilmore returned from space on March 18. The pair were stretchered out of the capsule, appearing frail from their 286 days on the ISS.
They were then swiftly skirted off to medical where they received IV fluids and other health tests.
The public did not see the astronauts until NASA shared pictures of them around 2am ET, which showed them still sporting the IV needles in their hands.
However, Perry popped out of the capsule and put her hand in the air to show off the daisy she took with her to space.
She then skipped down the the stairs leading out of the craft and bent over to plant a kiss on the desert landscape.
During her post-flight interview, the host told Perry, 'You are officially an astronaut,' to which the singer graciously replied, 'Thank you.'
Perry's kiss to the ground has many people saying the Blue Origin mission was just a publicity stunt
Other social media users took made memes to express their feelings of Perry kissing the ground after the 11-minute mission
But the New Shepard spacecraft was designed to be autonomous, meaning no-one on board controlled any aspects of the flight.
This makes the women ineligible for official astronaut status - and instead, they're technically classed as 'space travelers'.
'That whole Blue Origin all-female space flight is such a joke. The reporter kept calling them 'astronauts'. By that definition, and, because, have flown on airplanes a lot, I'm an experienced pilot,' one user shared on X.
Another woman commented: 'Such a slap in the face to the OG women who went through rigorous training and testing
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