A new conspiracy theory surrounding Katy Perry's recent Blue Origin space flight has emerged, focusing on what appears to be an artificial hand visible through a spacecraft window.
According to Daily Mail, online skeptics are using an image of what they claim is a mannequin's hand seen through the New Shepard capsule window as evidence that the April 15 mission carrying Perry and five other female crew members was faked.
The viral image has sparked intense debate on social media, with conspiracy theorists declaring it definitive proof of deception. However, the photograph in question actually comes from a 2017 Blue Origin test flight that deliberately used a mannequin nicknamed "Mannequin Skywalker," not from this week's NS-31 mission.
The latest conspiracy theory gained traction when social media users began sharing the old test flight image, mistakenly presenting it as current evidence. Sharp-eyed observers noted significant differences between the space suits worn during the 2017 test and the form-fitting attire of Perry's crew.
Blue Origin's NS-31 mission launched Monday from Launch Site One in Texas, carrying Perry along with Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King, Kerianne Flynn, Amanda Nguyen and former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe. The 11-minute suborbital flight was thoroughly documented and streamed live online.
The mission achieved a maximum altitude of 66.5 miles, just crossing the internationally recognized Kármán line that marks the boundary of space at 62 miles above Earth's surface.
Online skeptics have also questioned aspects of the New Shepard capsule's design, including its inward-opening door and apparent lack of re-entry burn marks. However, these features are explained by the vehicle's suborbital flight profile.
Since the capsule only briefly reaches the edge of space rather than achieving orbit, it experiences much less heating during descent compared to vehicles returning from orbital missions. The capsule's door design complies with NASA safety requirements established after the Apollo 1 tragedy.
One conspiracy theorist on social media claimed, regarding the mission's authenticity:
Guess what was inside the capsule when it touched down before they cut the cameras for 10 minutes to remove all the mannequins and usher in the astrohoes.
The successful completion of NS-31 marked an important milestone as Blue Origin's first all-female crew mission. Despite the spreading of misinformation online, extensive documentation exists of the actual flight and its crew of accomplished women.
The controversy follows earlier speculation about an awkward moment during the capsule's landing when the door was briefly opened from inside before being closed again, allowing Jeff Bezos to officially open it for cameras. This incident likely represented an unscripted moment rather than evidence of any deception.
The pop star's journey aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule on Monday marked a significant achievement in commercial spaceflight, despite becoming the target of unfounded conspiracy theories. The mission successfully carried Perry and five other accomplished women to the edge of space, making history as Blue Origin's first all-female crew.
While social media continues to circulate misleading claims using outdated test flight imagery, extensive documentation and live coverage verify the authentic completion of the NS-31 mission.
