Conspiracy theorists brand all-female Blue Origin space flight as ‘fake’
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Backlash isn’t the only thing the female space travellers on the Blue Origin flight were subjected to.
Conspiracy theorists online claimed video proves that the voyage that included Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez and Gayle King was “fake.”
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Conspiracy theorists brand all-female Blue Origin space flight as ‘fake’ Back to video
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Footage emerged that shows the flight after it landed, with Blue Origin owner and Sanchez’s fiancé Jeff Bezos seen approaching the capsule to open the door.
However, prior to Bezo’s proud moment, where he twists the handle open to release the passengers, the door is seen being cracked open from inside.
Online sleuths immediately called the mission to space a hoax, insisting the door could only be open from the outside due to “safety protocols,” not to mention the pressurized cabin.
“I’d say this is the nail in the coffin,” X user @ColtonBuckJ, captioned the clip, adding, “FAKE!”
He insisted, “The Blue Origin New Shepard crew capsule’s hatch is designed to be opened from the outside by the recovery team after landing, as a safety measure to ensure controlled and secure egress.”
He continued: “Space capsules, including New Shepard’s, are generally not designed to open from the inside immediately after landing due to safety protocols, such as ensuring the external environment is secure and the capsule is stable.”
Another user, @Moonmonkey, agreed it was bogus, noting how the door was initially opened from the inside with no apparent tools.
“They then waited a few minutes, and Jeff Bezos stepped up with some sort of tool and acted like he unlocked the latch,” they wrote.
Other users claimed the hatch didn’t appear pressurized, while other doubters said the capsule looked “too clean” for going to space and back.
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However, some people pointed out it may have simply been a staged publicity stunt gone wrong, to make the arrival scene appear more polished and ballyhooed than what originally took place.
In reality, Flight NS-31 lifted off from West Texas on Monday at 9:31 a.m. local time, marking the first all-female space flight in more than 60 years.
Along for the history-making ride with Perry, Sanchez and King were former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, research scientist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
Photos and video released Monday showed the crew floating in zero gravity in the rocket, sharing their view above Earth as they floated above, and admiring the moon.
Another video showed the smooth landing of the “booster touchdown” back on Earth.
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