Blue Origin Resumes Operation, Sends Six Tourists to Edge of Space

Blue Origin has started its operation again and has launched six tourists bound to the edge of the space after two years of hiatus.

The aerospace tourism operation of the company was halted after suffering from a failed uncrewed test flight two years ago.

Blue Origin NS-25

(Photo : Blue Origin)

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Blue Origin Launches Six Tourists on Space

The New Shepard rocket and capsule took off from the Blue Origin's facilities in West Texas. The space capsule, NS-25, is carrying six customers.

The passengers included Brasserie Mont-Blanc founder Sylvain Chiron, venture capitalist Mason Angel, software engineer Kenneth Hess, aviator Gopi Thotakura, retired accountant Carol Schaller, and retired U.S. Air Force captain Ed Dwight.

"I had no intention of being an astronaut. That was the last thing on my bucket list," Dwight shared in a documentary. Later on, he explained that the opportunity changed his mind about going to space, making him the oldest person to reach the edge of space at the age of 90, according to Blue Origin.

Blue Origin Completes Seventh Crewed Space Flight

The flight launched the crew three times more than the speed of sound or more than 2,000 miles per hour. According to the passengers, they felt a few moments of weightlessness during the peak of the flight.

In addition, the passengers also experienced viewing the Earth through the cabin windows as the capsule was vaulted past the Kármán line, an area 62 miles above Earth's surface and recognized as the spot where outer space starts.

The launch is considered the first successful crewed flight of the New Shepard's program since the incident that happened more than a year ago. Last December, an uncrewed space mission was completed.

Blue Origin implemented design changes to the combustion chamber and adjusted some of its operating parameters to ensure that no failure would occur again.

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