Blue Origin Sends Six Tourists to Edge of Space
Blue Origin has launched six space tourists to the edge of space and back. The 10-minute ride marked the company’s 13th passenger flight out of the discernible atmosphere. This launch took place on Sunday from Blue Origin’s site near Van Horn, Texas, after a delay of eight days due to high winds.
A Smooth Launch and Brief Weightlessness
The New Shepard capsule lifted off just after 9:38 a.m. EDT. The hydrogen-fuelled BE-3 engine fired for around two-and-a-half minutes, pushing the capsule to nearly three times the speed of sound. After this, the capsule separated from the booster and continued its journey upward.
Passengers on this flight included Allie and Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., Jim Sitkin, and Owolabi Salis, who is the first Nigerian to fly in space. They experienced around three minutes of weightlessness. During this time, they floated in the cabin and viewed Earth through the spacecraft’s large windows as it climbed to an altitude of just over 65 miles, slightly higher than the recognised edge of space.
Safe Return and Growing Space Tourism
After the weightless experience, the capsule started its descent, and passengers returned to their seats for landing. The reusable booster returned separately, landing tail-first on its pad using rocket power. The capsule landed gently under three red-and-blue parachutes, touching down close to the booster’s landing pad. Blue Origin stated that the landing was within their safety margins, aided by low winds during the descent.
This flight marks Blue Origin’s 13th sub-orbital passenger mission since it first carried Jeff Bezos and three others in July 2021. The company has now flown 74 passengers, including Bezos’ wife Lauren Sánchez, and four individuals who have flown twice.
Although Blue Origin does not reveal ticket prices, it is believed that a seat on the New Shepard costs more than $500,000. Since June 2024, Blue Origin has operated alone in the sub-orbital passenger market after Virgin Galactic paused flights to develop its Delta-class spacecraft, with Virgin aiming to resume flights next year.
with inputs from Reuters