Six tourists were launched into the edge of space, transforming into astronauts in the early hours of Sunday. This remarkable achievement came after a hiatus of nearly two years, following a previous unsuccessful uncrewed test flight conducted by the renowned space exploration company, Blue Origin.
The New Shepard flight took off at 9:36 a.m. local time from Launch Site One, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The launch site is located approximately 30 miles north of the town of Van Horn in Culberson County, Texas. These facilities are situated on a private ranch in West Texas.
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“A successful crewed mission is now in the books,” declared the NASA-awarded company in a post on X immediately after the rocket was launched.
The rocket, which carries both cargo and humans on short trips to the edge of space, has been out of commission ever since a mission in Texas went awry in fall 2022. The incident occurred approximately one minute after liftoff, causing the rocket’s capsule, which contained various NASA experiments, to be jettisoned mid-flight (The El Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network).
According to a statement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), no injuries were reported when the rocket crashed back to earth. The FAA has also announced that it will be opening an investigation into the incident.
Who was the crew on the Blue Origin launch?
According to a post on their website, New Shepard has successfully launched a total of 37 individuals into space, including the crew from today’s mission.
The NS-25 mission, the company’s seventh flight to date, featured an exceptional crew comprising Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Ken Hess, Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura. Notably, the team also included former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, who holds the distinction of being the first Black astronaut candidate in the United States.
‘Forever changed’
Blue Origin posted a video titled “Forever changed,” which shows the crew unbuckling and floating at one point during the mission.
During zero gravity, the crew members engage in various activities, such as tossing a hockey puck, exchanging high fives, and spinning in circles. The footage captures their playful and spirited interactions.
New Shepard Senior Vice President Phil Joyce expressed his gratitude to the astronaut customers for giving them the chance to offer this transformative experience. In a statement released by Blue Origin, Joyce acknowledged the customers as pioneers who are contributing to the mission of constructing a pathway to space for the betterment of our planet.
In the previous year, the FAA concluded its review of the New Shepard investigation and mandated that Blue Origin implement nearly twenty corrections for future missions. These corrections encompassed an engine redesign and organizational adjustments.
