On August 29, 2024, Blue Origin completed its eighth human spaceflight, sending six passengers on a sub-orbital journey aboard the New Shepard rocket.
The mission, known as NS-26, was launched from Blue Origin’s West Texas site at 9:07 a.m. EDT and included a diverse group of passengers, including a NASA-sponsored researcher and the youngest woman to fly in space. The flight reached an altitude of approximately 65 miles (about 104 kilometers), providing the passengers with a few minutes of weightlessness before safely returning to Earth.
Details of the NS-26 Mission
The six passengers on the NS-26 mission included Nicolina Elrick, a philanthropist and entrepreneur; Rob Ferl, a University of Florida professor and NASA-funded researcher; Eugene Grin, an adventurer and businessman; Eiman Jahangir, a cardiologist from Vanderbilt University; Ephraim Rabin, an American-Israeli entrepreneur; and Karsen Kitchen, a senior at the University of North Carolina who became the youngest woman to fly in space at the age of 21.
Powered by a single-stage, hydrogen-fueled rocket, the New Shepard crew capsule was propelled straight up through a deck of clouds, disappearing from view as it reached a maximum velocity of 2,238 mph. At that point, the capsule coasted to an altitude of about 345,000 feet, or 65 miles, above Earth, allowing the crew to experience approximately three minutes of weightlessness. As the capsule reached the high point of its trajectory, the passengers enjoyed spectacular views of Earth below, with the boundary of space clearly visible.
Upon the capsule's return, the reusable booster safely touched down on a concrete landing pad back at the Texas launch site. The crew capsule, slowed by three large parachutes, descended more gradually, ultimately making a gentle touchdown at 9:17 a.m., completing the mission in just over 10 minutes.
Reactions from the Crew
The crew members were ecstatic after landing, embracing family members and friends with broad smiles and exclamations. Rob Ferl, the NASA-funded researcher who conducted experiments on plant growth in microgravity during the flight, described the experience as overwhelming: "The ride was incredibly smooth; I was so impressed with the ride up. But being there, the darkness of space, there's no way to talk about it. There's no way to talk about how impressive space is and the Earth below. The science went well, everything worked like it was supposed to. ... It couldn't have been a better experience."
Karsen Kitchen, who at 21 became the youngest woman to cross the Kármán line (the boundary of space recognized internationally), expressed her excitement upon landing. "I went to space!" she exclaimed as she pumped her hands in the air, celebrating the achievement. Her father, Jim Kitchen, who flew to space aboard a New Shepard capsule in 2022, shared in the moment, noting, "When she was a little girl, she told me definitively she was going to be an astronaut. It's emotional. It's emotional to see someone that's wanted to go to space and it's actually a dream come true. To be able to have that dream and have it fulfilled is amazing."
The Significance of Blue Origin's Sub-orbital Flights
The NS-26 mission marks another successful milestone for Blue Origin in its efforts to advance space tourism and human spaceflight. Ariane Cornell, Blue Origin's launch commentator, praised the mission, stating, "Up and back. That is just one of the cleanest flights I've seen from this rocket. But behind every rocket is an extraordinary team."
This flight also highlights the increasing accessibility of space, as Blue Origin continues to build and market the New Shepard rocket and spacecraft for space tourism, human-tended research, and unpiloted experiments. While Blue Origin has not disclosed the cost of a seat aboard New Shepard, its main competitor, Virgin Galactic, currently charges $450,000 per ticket.
The success of NS-26, the third launch for New Shepard since a robotic research flight failed in September 2022, underscores the reliability and safety of Blue Origin's reusable rocket-capsule system. The company plans to continue its sub-orbital missions while also developing the New Glenn, a larger orbit-class rocket designed to deliver satellites and other payloads to orbit, with its first launch tentatively scheduled for October 2024.
As commercial spaceflight continues to grow, missions like NS-26 represent a significant step toward making space travel more routine and accessible, bringing humanity closer to the stars.