Blue Origin is planning to launch a spaceflight this weekend after experiencing a delay a week prior. The mission, known as NS-33, will see a rocket carrying a group of six people to the edge of space. This will mark the 13th human spaceflight conducted by Blue Origin since 2021, when the company’s founder, billionaire Jeff Bezos, took his first flight on a New Shepard spacecraft.
The upcoming launch is scheduled for Sunday, June 29 at 8:30 a.m. ET, with backup opportunities on Monday, June 30 if necessary. The launch will take place at Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas, where viewers can watch a livestream of the event on the company’s website.
The crew for this mission includes astronauts Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyn, Kerianne Flynn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, and Lauren Sanchez. These individuals will join a select group of more than 60 others who have experienced the brief but unforgettable journey to space in the past four years.
The New Shepard spacecraft will offer the passengers moments of weightlessness and breathtaking views of space and Earth from about 60 miles above the planet. While most of us can only dream of such an experience, those interested can witness the launch from the comfort of their homes.
Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, is a private space technology company that aims to commercialize space travel and compete with other major players in the industry. Bezos himself flew on the New Shepard’s maiden crewed voyage in 2021, marking a significant milestone in the company’s spaceflight ambitions.
In addition to space tourism, Blue Origin is also developing the New Glenn rocket for future spaceflights, aiming to rival SpaceX’s Starship in size. The upcoming NS-33 mission represents another step forward in Blue Origin’s quest to make space travel accessible to more people.
Blue Origin’s recent spaceflight, known as NS-33, involved a diverse group of individuals including environmentalist Allie Kuehner, real estate developer Carl Kuehner, philanthropist Leland Larson, CEO Freddie Rescigno Jr., attorney Owolabi Salis, financial consultant Jim Sitkin, and more. The New Shepard rocket launch, specifically Mission NS-31, featured an all-female astronaut crew and lasted about 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown. The rocket, named after astronaut Alan Shepard, operates autonomously without pilots aboard. During the flight, passengers experience moments of weightlessness and have the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular view of Earth through the capsule’s windows. The rocket booster returns to the ground while the capsule deploys parachutes for a soft landing in the desert. For more information on this mission and future launches, contact Space Connect reporter Eric Lagatta at elagatta@gannett.com.
