What Happened During the Blue Origin Celebrity Space Flight

Ten … 9 … 8 … 7 … 6 … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … Swish, swish, bish! At 9:30 a.m. ET, life didn’t imitate art, but it did at least imitate The Morning Show, as morning-television host Gayle King was finally shot into space for the content alongside fellow intrepid girlbosses Lauren Sánchez, Katy Perry, Amanda Nguyen, Kerianne Flynn, and actual rocket scientist Aisha Bowe. The historic event is currently being broadcast on CBS, and Vulture bloggers are rapt. Here are our unfiltered reactions while we process watching King take one small step for man, one giant roar for KatyCatKind.

Pre-Launch

Fran Hoepfner: Oprah IS there … Gayle is so afraid.
Morgan Baila: They’re asking Katy about her space songs: “Are you gonna hum anything?”
F.H.: I didn’t know Lauren Sánchez is a pilot …
Rebecca Alter: She’s gonna make ’em go “ah, ah, ah” as she shoots across the sky, sky, sky.
Justin Curto: “The hatch is closed.”

Post–Hatch Closing

J.C.: I cannot believe Katy Perry and Gayle King are in that thing.
F.H.: Are we gonna be able to see inside?
Zoë Haylock: Neeeed live mics.
J.C.: “Gayle, she is lost in the moment.”
F.H.: I’m crying looking at Gayle … I feel her fear.
J.C.: “Gayle’s face was also, it was pretty serious.” No, that’s stress!
F.H.: Katy rang the bell more than anyone.

TAKEOFF

F.H.: GAYLE goes to SPACE is such a good segment title.
J.C.: Is this how it felt to watch the moon landing?
F.H.: This is actually convincing me that Jeff and Lauren do love each other so much.

They’re in Space

J.C.: This is a stupid question, but how does it land and not crash?
M.B.: This all looks AI.
R.A.: When do we get the camera feed of them on the inside?
J.C.: What was that scream?
R.A.: That scream was from the flight, for sure.
J.C.: Oh my God, Oprah can’t watch!!
F.H.: Poor Oprah!
Z.H.: She’s in agony.
F.H.: WHERE is Orlando Bloom …
J.C.: Katy NEEDS to sing in space!
R.A.: Is that singing I hear …
J.C.: Is that Katy attempting to sing?
R.A.: Okay, they’re wooing on the audio feed. OMG, that’s them in the capsule????
J.C.: Wow, that thing is so small!
Z.H.: Oh, the screaming is real.
R.A.: That adrenaline rush must feel AMAZING, I have to say.
J.C.: I can’t wait for the postgame interviews now.
F.H.: I’ve never been so happy to hear Katy Perry on Earth.
R.A.: Is that KRIS KARDASHIAN watching?
Z.H.: Why is Khloé there too?
J.C.: We need to send the CBS guys to space now. They’re talking all about how scared Gayle was; I want to see them do it.
R.A.: Not to be wokescold Debbie Downer, but I have to take this moment to say this whole thing being an ad for recreational space trips … costing millions … when ppl on Earth are aching and Earth is aching … is very disgusting to me!
F.H.: Olivia Munn was right.
R.A.: This is one of those things that rich people do like climbing Everest that then lets them call themselves a “hero,” and I’m like, what is heroic about this … or whatever …
J.C.: Does space mess up your makeup, or are they still going to be glammed when they come out?
R.A.: And THAT’S brave and heroic.
J.C.: Who will be brave enough to admit that going to space made them sad, like William Shatner did?

They Came Back

J.C.: “She looked terrified” — finally someone speaking truth about Gayle.
R.A.: “When they write the story of Gayle King’s life …”
J.C.: When the aliens find this footage hundreds of years later, they’ll think Gayle King was a deity to us.
R.A.: And they’d be right!
J.C.: Jeff Bezos being the first person you see when you return to Earth … terrifying.
F.H.: Is he holding a hammer? He’s gonna smash them outta there.
J.C: Omg, it’s open!
F.H.: As a woman for whom this mission is dedicated to, I ultimately feel nothing.
J.C.: Katy is nothing if not a theater kid at heart.
F.H.: Katy Perry has kissed the ground.
Z.H.: The dirt.
R.A.: So Katy brought a little daisy with her to space? Is that what she was holding?
J.C.: Are their pants flared? Boot-cut??
R.A.: The costume design really is so MCU.

The Postgame With Gayle King

F.H.: Gayle is the flight instructor’s best success story!!!
J.C.: “I still can’t accept that word [astronaut], but I will say, I can’t even believe what I saw. When somebody calls this a ride, this was not a ride. What happened to us was not a ride. This was a bona fide frickin’ flight.” — Gayle King. “I’m so proud of me right now, I can’t believe it.” — also Gayle King.
F.H.: “We’ve been asking Katy to sing all the time, and she wouldn’t.” — again, Gayle King.
J.C.: Gayle might get her ears pierced now that she went to space?? You can’t make this up.
F.H.: This does feel like a big commercial: Women in STEM can like space, someone who is afraid can like space, theater kids can like space.
J.C.: KATY PERRY — what is she even saying? “Flowers are to me God’s smile.”
F.H.: She brought God’s smile to space.
J.C.: Gayle King should get the rest of the week off. How do you go back to reporting the news on Earth tomorrow after you’ve been to space?

So, Did Katy Sing in Space?

Yes, she apparently sang “What a Wonderful World.” And announced the setlist for her Lifetimes tour.

Related

• Was the All-Female Blue Origin Mission ‘Hopecore’?