Blue Origin Launches Six to Space in Latest New Shepard Flight

Blue Origin's New Shepard Suborbital Flight

REYKJAVÍK, Iceland — On May 31, Blue Origin successfully launched six passengers on a suborbital spaceflight using its New Shepard vehicle. The mission, identified as NS-32, underscores the company’s dual commitment to providing commercial space experiences and advancing its technological capabilities.

The New Shepard vehicle lifted off from Blue Origin's Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:39 a.m. Eastern time. The capsule achieved an altitude of 105 kilometers before safely returning to Earth just 10 minutes post-launch, landing shortly after the booster.

This mission marked the 12th crewed flight of the New Shepard and has thus far transported a total of 64 individuals into space, including two historic firsts: Rocket, the first person from New Zealand, and Alemán, the first from Panama.

• The flight was part of a total of four New Shepard missions this year.
• Three of these missions have included human passengers, while one was dedicated solely to payloads and simulated lunar gravity.
• The specifics regarding the total number of future flights for this year have not been disclosed by the company.

During the Humans to the Moon and Mars Summit held by Explore Mars on May 28, Blue Origin's Chief Executive, Dave Limp, highlighted the importance of the New Shepard program, stating that it not only serves as a viable business but also as a critical platform for technology testing. He noted the enduring demand among individuals inspired by space exploration who are eager to experience space travel personally.

Despite not providing detailed figures on the program's commercial success, Limp expressed confidence in New Shepard's role as a valuable testbed for emerging technologies, such as the avionics systems that will be utilized in its upcoming New Glenn launch vehicle and the lidar systems for the Blue Moon lunar lander, which is slated to conduct its first flight later this year.

Limp emphasized, "First of all, it’s a good business... but we would still fly New Shepard because it’s such a good testbed." This highlights the strategic vision Blue Origin has for integrating its commercial offerings with its broader technological ambitions.

The continued investment in New Shepard showcases Blue Origin's competitive approach in the commercial space sector, as it strives to meet consumer demand while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of aerospace innovation.