Katy's space joyride has zero gravity

THERE was a time when space travel was a noble endeavour the culmination of global ambition, scientific cooperation, and a hunger to explore the cosmos.

- CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN US Editor

Now, it's a rich man and woman's circus act.

The latest Blue Origin flight, a glorified sky selfie funded by Jeff Bezos's planet-sized ego, has made that painfully clear.

It launched on Monday with the usual fireworks of billionaire excess and carried, among others, pop star Katy Perry, whose post-flight reflections offered all the philosophical depth of a shampoo commercial.

Let's be clear - this wasn't space exploration. This was a rocket-fuelled PR stunt... literally.

Blue Origin's New Shepard took six women - including Jeff's fiancee Lauren Sanchez to the "edge" of space for about 10 minutes.