So much for a smooth landing. What was meant to be a groundbreaking, history-making moment for women in space has now spiralled into full-blown conspiracy chaos. Blue Origin’s latest mission—featuring an all-female crew that included pop superstar Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez—is now under intense internet scrutiny, and it’s all because of, drumroll please, a door.

👀 The door opening incident on the Blue Origin spaceflight has sparked widespread controversy and speculation, with some claiming it was a deliberate stunt. The door was seen opening from the inside before being closed, allowing Jeff Bezos to wrench it open on camera for a… pic.twitter.com/K2JaJFoXRB

— Prince Carlton 🇺🇸 (@_PrinceCarlton_) April 17, 2025

On Monday, 14 April 2025, the New Shepard NS-31 capsule, owned by Bezos’ space company, launched on a brief journey just past the Kármán line, the recognised boundary of space. The six women aboard (Amanda Nguyen, Aisha Bowe, Lauren Sánchez, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Gayle King) were part of a historic moment, but shortly after, a storm of conspiracy theories began to unravel online.

@islandgrlsteph

How stupid do they think we are. Do you guys think they really went into space? #blueorigin #blueoriginlaunch #greenscreenvideo #firmament #conspiracytiktok

♬ original sound - Tipoush

Blue Origin door opening goes viral after the door was opened from the inside before being closed so Jeff Bezos could wrench it open on camera. pic.twitter.com/xkIZRfbeV6

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 17, 2025

In footage shared from the mission’s landing, Bezos is seen walking up to the capsule and theatrically opening the hatch with what appears to be a tool. He grins, swings the door open, and welcomes the women back to Earth.

But in a clip from just moments before, the hatch appears to open from the inside. Someone seems to push it ajar before it’s quickly shut again—almost as if whoever opened it was told to wait. And just like that, the conspiracy machine fired up.

@kevin.clancy

Jeff Bezos staged the opening of the Biue Origin hatch, leading conspiracy theorists to say the whole thing was fake. Gayle King tells the haters “go to space, then talk to me” and refers to herself as an astronaut

♬ original sound - Kevin Clancy

Netizens immediately flooded the internet with speculations, suggesting that the door gaffe proved the whole mission was faked or staged for cameras. Some claimed the door couldn’t possibly be opened from the inside after reentry, arguing that typical pressurised spacecraft require teams on the outside to open them safely. Others pointed out that the door appeared to swing inward, which they say is highly unusual for a capsule that has supposedly been to space.

They faked the door opening.
Someone inside opened the door, and was told to close it.
3 minutes later they "cracked" the door open.

You can't make this stuff up, you really can't.https://t.co/aIzaLukV0g

— USGradeABeef (@TuneInDropMSM) April 15, 2025

“Most people don’t understand that networks have a 30-second delay,” one user said, adding: “A delay may be to prevent mistakes or unacceptable content from being broadcast. Blue Origin’s ‘door gaffe’, as the video shows, the hatch was opened ‘from inside’ before passengers climbed out.”

Most people don't understand that networks have a 30-second delay …
Why?
A delay may be to prevent mistakes or unacceptable content from being broadcast
𝐈𝐂𝐘𝐌𝐈:
Blue Origin ‘door gaffe’ – as video shows, the hatch was opened ‘from inside’ before passengers climbed out.… pic.twitter.com/7ZFZq3c3NT

— Frank (@rodriQuez) April 16, 2025

Fueling suspicions further was the overall cleanliness of the capsule, which appeared untouched by the usual grit that comes with spaceflight.

I’m so confused about this #BlueOrigin space thing.
It doesn’t seem real. What do people think?
The capsule wasn’t burnt or had any marks on it,, the door opened before Jeff opened it with his special tool and then quickly shut again.
Then the door flung open like a caravan on a… pic.twitter.com/TywwPkLB9n

— Daniel Kerley (@danielsjourney1) April 16, 2025

@92kchick

Jeff Bezos opens the hatch to the Blue Origin capsule with the all-female crew returns from space. Stars Katy Perry and Gayle King Are Among The Passengers. The Door Appears To Open From The Inside #space #blueorigin #jeffbezos #opendoor #news #trending #rocket #launch #celebritynews

♬ Funny - Gold-Tiger

Of course, there are explanations for nearly everything. The crew reportedly trained for the mission, and the New Shepard capsule has been used in numerous successful launches and landings. It’s also worth noting that the flight’s suborbital path is significantly less intense than full-orbit missions, which may account for differences in engineering and post-flight procedures.

But none of that has stopped people from running wild with theories. The fact that the hatch could be opened from the inside was enough to make many viewers question the authenticity of what they were seeing.

For now, the people at Blue Origin seem happy to let the footage speak for itself. But whether that footage convinces or confuses, one thing is clear: the internet isn’t ready to close the door on this mystery just yet.