Katy Perry says her brief trip to the final frontier changed her in significant ways.
The pop star and five other women launched to suborbital space with Blue Origin this morning (April 14) from West Texas, performing the first all-female spaceflight since the Soviet Union's Valentina Tereshkova journeyed to Earth orbit in 1963.
Today's flight — known as NS-31, because it was the 31st overall mission of Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle — lasted less than 11 minutes. But that was enough time for some pretty big feelings to flood into Perry.
"I feel super connected to love," Perry said shortly after emerging from the New Shepard crew capsule, in an interview that was part of Blue Origin's mission webcast.
"I think this experience has shown me you never know how much love is inside of you — how much love you have to give and how loved you are — until the day of launch," she added.
During the post-landing interview in the West Texas desert, conducted by Fox Sports' Charissa Thompson, Perry held a daisy up to the sky. It makes sense that she took that flower with her on the flight; Perry's 4-year-old daughter, with actor Orlando Bloom, is named Daisy. But there was some additional meaning, Perry explained.
"Daisies are common flowers, but they grow through any condition," she told Thompson. "They grow through cement. They grow through cracks. They grow through walls. They are resilient; powerful. They are strong. They're everywhere."
These flowers are "a reminder of our beautiful Earth," as well as "the beautiful magic that is everywhere, all around us, even in a simple daisy," Perry added.
Taking the flower up on NS-31 therefore was a tribute not just to her daughter but to our home planet, and a nod to its fragility as well — a reminder "to appreciate it and remember it, take care of it and protect it," she said.
A similar spirit animated Perry to sing part of "What a Wonderful World" — originally and most famously performed by Louis Armstrong — after the NS-31 mission reached space. (We don't have footage of this in-space performance yet, but NS-31 crewmate Gayle King revealed that it took place during her own post-flight interview.)
"It's not about me; it's not about singing my songs. It's about a collective energy in there," Perry told Thompson. "It's about us. It's about making space for future woman and taking up space and belonging. And it's about this wonderful world that we see right out there and appreciating it. This is all for the benefit of Earth."
Perry also said that she revealed the set list for her upcoming tour during the flight — something that we may see later, if Blue Origin releases footage from New Shepard's interior.
Perry suggested that her participation on NS-31 seemed almost preordained. She told Thompson about a conversation she had with her "angels" while deciding whether or not to fly with Blue Origin, which was founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
"And they're like, 'Well, here's the feather [Blue Origin's symbol], which is what your mother calls you. And if that's not enough, the capsule is named Tortoise, which is the second nickname that your mother calls you,'" Perry said. "I'm like, 'OK, I'm going, I'm going — I got the message, and I'm going to get the message.'"
Her angels were apparently on the money, because Perry said her flight was amazing: "Ten out of 10 — that's my review."
"I couldn't recommend this experience more," she added, describing it as "second to being a mom."
And Perry's daughter got to see her mom fly to space today: Daisy was there for the launch, as was Bloom.
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