Katy Perry Just Went to Space and It Actually Means More Than You Think

Okay, I know how this sounds. Katy Perry? In space? What is this, a rejected subplot from Interstellar where they save Earth by launching the cast of American Idol into orbit?

But stay with me—because this isn't a joke. This is important. Maybe even the most important thing humanity will ever do.

Yes, six women, including pop icon Katy Perry, just took a ride on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket to the edge of space. They floated for a few minutes, saw the curvature of the Earth, said things like "Oh my goddess" and "I love you, Jeff Bezos" (which—okay, bold), and then they came back down, kissed the ground, hugged Oprah, and said things about the divine feminine. And the internet, predictably, had a meltdown.

"Why is Katy Perry in space when we have real problems here on Earth?" people cry. And look—I get it. There are problems here. Big ones. But here's the thing nobody seems to understand:

None of it matters if Earth stops existing.

If an asteroid hits us tomorrow—and statistically, it's not that unlikely—all your noble causes, your 401k, your favorite podcast, your grandma's lasagna recipe… gone. We've been wiped out before. Ask the dinosaurs. Oh wait—you can't. Because they didn't have rockets.

That's why space matters. It's not escapism. It's insurance. Space travel is the ultimate backup drive for humanity.

But here's the real kicker: space exploration isn't profitable. At all. It's a money pit. A glorious, science-fictiony, asteroid-dodging money pit. And the only way to keep digging that pit is to make regular, everyday people—okay, maybe not everyday, maybe Katy Perry-level people—excited enough to fund it.

That's where space tourism comes in. Because if Katy Perry goes to space and comes back crying happy tears and quoting Carl Sagan, her 100 million fans start thinking maybe space isn't just for Elon Musk and NASA nerds. Maybe it's for them too. Maybe they'll want a ticket. Maybe they'll start caring.

And that's the spark we need.

We need people who don't read Scientific American to care about the cosmos. We need people who buy concert merch to get excited about funding Martian colonies. We need Katy Perry in space because Katy Perry in space gets the job done.

You don't get to Mars by accident. You get there because a bunch of scientists and engineers worked their butts off, and a bunch of pop stars made the public excited enough to pay for it.

So yes, Katy Perry just went to space. And yes, I fully support that. Because the future of our species may depend on a daisy-holding pop star floating weightlessly above Earth, smiling for the camera.

And if that's what it takes to get us to the stars—then sign me up for Teenage Dream on vinyl, a Blue Origin hoodie, and a one-way trip to the moon.