Blue Origin Resumes Space Tourism After 2022 Mishap

Blue Origin, the space tourism and exploration company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has successfully launched six people to the edge of space from West Texas on Sunday. This mission, known as NS-25, is the company’s first crewed flight since August 2022, when all flights were suspended due to an engine malfunction during an unmanned mission. The successful launch marks a significant milestone for Blue Origin as it resumes its space tourism activities.

The NS-25 mission took off at precisely 10:36 a.m. ET, featuring a New Shepard rocket carrying six individuals. This flight represents Blue Origin’s seventh successful journey to the edge of space, approximately 62 miles above Earth’s surface. The rocket’s journey followed a parabolic trajectory, providing the passengers a brief period of weightlessness and a breathtaking view of the Earth’s curvature before safely returning to the ground. This milestone highlights Blue Origin’s commitment to making space accessible to civilians and expanding the horizons of space tourism.

The six passengers aboard the New Shepard rocket included software engineer and entrepreneur Kenneth Hess, retired accountant and explorer Carol Schaller, aviator Gopi Thotakura, retired U.S. Air Force captain Ed Dwight, venture capitalist Mason Angel, and brewery founder Sylvain Chiron. Each of these individuals brought a unique background and perspective to the mission. Notably, Ed Dwight, at 90 years old, became the oldest person to travel to space, surpassing the record previously held by William Shatner, who flew on a Blue Origin mission in 2021.

Ed Dwight’s inclusion in the mission is particularly noteworthy. In the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy selected Dwight to be the country’s first Black astronaut candidate. Although he completed the rigorous training program, he was never chosen for a mission with NASA’s Astronaut Corps. Reflecting on his unexpected journey to space, Dwight said in a 2023 documentary titled “The Space Race,” “I had no intention of being an astronaut. That was the last thing on my bucket list. But once I was given the challenge, then everything changes.” His participation underscores the diverse and inclusive nature of Blue Origin’s missions.

Blue Origin’s history of space missions began with its first test rocket launch in 2006. The company’s inaugural crewed flight, which included founder Jeff Bezos as a passenger, took off in August 2021. Since then, more than two dozen individuals have experienced space travel aboard the New Shepard vehicle. Notable passengers have included entertainment icons like William Shatner and former NFL star and “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan. Before the August 2022 engine malfunction, Blue Origin had conducted six successful crewed flights, firmly establishing its presence in the commercial space travel industry.

The engine malfunction in August 2022 was a significant setback for Blue Origin. An unmanned New Shepard rocket experienced a nozzle malfunction that forced the capsule to abort its mission and safely parachute back to Earth. The incident prompted an extensive investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which resulted in 21 corrective actions that Blue Origin had to implement before resuming flights. In December 2023, the company successfully launched its first unmanned rocket since the incident, demonstrating its commitment to safety and reliability.

Passengers on Blue Origin’s tourism missions travel to the Kármán line, recognized internationally as the boundary of space. They experience several minutes of weightlessness, providing them with an unparalleled view of the Earth and the vastness of space. On Sunday’s mission, the crew members also took part in Blue Origin’s “Club for the Future” program, which involves taking postcards made by children to space. These postcards are marked as having been to space and returned to their young creators, inspiring the next generation of space enthusiasts.

As of Sunday, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin and Amazon, is the second richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $202.4 billion. His vision for Blue Origin extends beyond space tourism; he envisions a future where millions of people live and work in space, utilizing its vast resources to benefit Earth. The successful NS-25 mission is a step towards realizing that vision, demonstrating the potential for regular, safe, and inspiring journeys to space for civilians.