After a two year hiatus, Blue Origin has resumed its conquest for space with its latest crewed mission, NS-25. On May 19, 2024, the aerospace company led by Jeff Bezos successfully launched its 25th mission, marking a significant milestone in its New Shepard program. The mission is not just a number; it represents a series of firsts and a long-awaited dream coming to fruition.
New Shepard (Mission NS-25) crew during mission training credit: Blue Origin
The NS-25 mission carried six astronauts, which from take-off to landing lasted just under 10 minutes, was also a milestone for the humans on board. Former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, who was the first U.S. Black astronaut candidate from the 1960s, was on board, and at more than 90 years old became oldest person in space.
New Shepard (Mission NS-25) crew:
Ed Dwight: Ex-Air Force pilot had faced rejection from NASA's astronaut corps in the 1960s. According to report by news agency AFP, Dwight became the oldest person to venture into space. He is 90 years, 8 months, and 10 days old.
Gopichand Thotakura: He is an Indian-origin entrepreneur and pilot.
Mason Angel: He is the founder of Industrious Ventures which is a venture capital firm.
Sylvain Chiron: She is the founder of Brasserie Mont Blanc
Kenneth L. Hess: A software engineer and entrepreneur
Carol Schaller: She is a retired Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who completed the roster of crew
members for the NS-25 mission.
NS-25 LIFTOFF
The launch from Blue Origin's West Texas facility was flawless, with the New Shepard rocket piercing the clear sky. The crew capsule, designed for six, provided a comfortable and safe environment for the astronauts as they ascended beyond the Kármán line, the recognized boundary of space. The flight reached a max velocity of 2,236 mph, and the crew capsule reached 347,464 feet.
As the capsule reached its peak altitude, the crew experienced a few minutes of weightlessness, gazing upon the curvature of the Earth—a view that has captivated and changed many before them. For Ed Dwight, this was a poignant moment, a culmination of a lifelong journey that began over six decades ago.
NS-25 mission marks the first manned New Shepard flight since NS-22 in August 2022. It is Blue Origin’s only active rocket, which was grounded in September of 2022 after a midflight failure on an uncrewed mission. This New Shepard flight carrying only cargo encountered an engine issue shortly after takeoff, leading to the activation of the emergency abort system. The capsule was recovered safely, but the propulsion module was lost.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration required Blue Origin to complete 21 corrective actions to fix the problems that led to the failure, including an engine redesign, according to Reuters.
During Sunday’s flight, one of the three parachutes on the capsule that sits atop the rocket and carried the crew didn’t inflate during landing, which caused no safety concerns for the people on board but could draw more scrutiny from the FAA.
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