Katy Perry Goes to Space: What It Costs to Join the Celeb Space Race
Pop sensation Katy Perry just took her stardom to stratospheric heights—literally. On April 14, the global icon was part of an all-women spaceflight organized by Blue Origin, the private aerospace company owned by Jeff Bezos. After landing safely back on Earth, Perry was seen kissing the ground, overwhelmed with emotion. “It’s a 10 out of 10. That’s my review. Definitely go for it,” she beamed.
Alongside Perry, the historic flight included Lauren Sanchez (Bezos’ fiancée), Gayle King, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and entrepreneur/former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe. This powerful crew soared more than 100 kilometers above Earth aboard the New Shepard rocket, crossing the internationally recognized boundary of space known as the Kármán line. After a brief moment of weightlessness, the team safely returned after an 11-minute journey.
An Expensive Ticket to the Stars
While the idea of floating in space sounds dreamy, the price tag is far from ordinary. Though Blue Origin doesn’t officially list its ticket prices, reports suggest that a refundable deposit of $150,000 (approx ₹1.28 crore) is needed to even get in line. In fact, one seat on its maiden voyage was auctioned for a jaw-dropping $28 million (approx ₹241 crore).
Not everyone is paying, though. A company spokesperson revealed that “some passengers” aboard the latest flight traveled free of charge, but didn’t clarify who footed the bill.
As Roman Chiporukha, co-founder of SpaceVIP, puts it:
“It’s not just about money — it’s about social capital, alignment with the mission’s goals, and overall visibility. It’s a package deal.”
How Other Space Tourism Giants Compare
Blue Origin isn’t the only player in this cosmic game. Virgin Galactic, owned by Richard Branson, offers a 90-minute suborbital flight for $450,000 (approx ₹3.85 crore). Meanwhile, Space Perspective provides a more relaxed 6-hour journey in a stratospheric balloon capsule for $125,000 (approx ₹1.07 crore). If you’re aiming for full-blown space living, Axiom Space is offering a 10-day International Space Station trip for a hefty $55 million.
So far, Blue Origin leads the race in terms of passengers, having flown 52 individuals on 11 sub-orbital missions. Its competitor, Virgin Galactic, has carried only 37, including 23 paying customers, despite launching a year earlier.
Celebrities and the Space Boom
Space travel is no longer just for astronauts. Celebs and billionaires are hopping aboard—William Shatner (of Star Trek fame) even became the oldest person to enter space at age 90 with Blue Origin in 2022.
This celebrity endorsement is boosting interest in space tourism, a sector projected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2024 to $6.7 billion by 2030, according to Research and Markets. With a growth rate of 31.6%, the idea of regular civilians becoming space travelers is inching closer to reality.
The Road Ahead: Will Common People Get Their Shot?
Experts agree: while space travel today is for the ultra-rich or ultra-famous, it won’t always be. Koji Yamanaka, from Japan’s space exploration center, believes that over time, with more players and frequent launches, costs will drop, and space will be accessible to the public — though we’re still years away from that future.
For now, watching pop stars, pioneers, and billionaires touch the stars is both thrilling and tantalizing. So, while Katy Perry’s space adventure may have cost millions (or maybe nothing at all), the dream of ordinary people going beyond Earth is slowly but surely taking shape.
