After experiencing severe winds at its facilities in Van Horn, Texas, on March 29, Blue Origin's New Shepard launch vehicle is now aiming for a March 31 launch.
The launch will occur on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. EDT (8:30 a.m. local time in Texas). Starting at 8:20 a.m. EDT, you may watch it live here on Science Times, courtesy of Blue Origin, or directly via the firm.
New Shepard is made up of a rocket and a reusable capsule. The vehicle has already been launched 19 times, explaining the mission's name: NS-20. The majority of Blue Origin's prior flights were uncrewed; NS-20 will be the company's fourth crewed mission.
VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: The New Shepard Blue Origin rocket lifts-off from the launch pad carrying Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk prepare to launch on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company.
What to Expect on Blue Origin New Shepard Launch
CBS News said the single-stage booster would propel the crew capsule out of the lower atmosphere to about 65 miles - just above the internationally recognized "boundary" of space.
The mission lasts around 10 minutes from takeoff to parachute-assisted landing. Before gravity brings the passengers back to Earth and the capsule releases parachutes to guarantee a smooth landing near the launch site, the passengers will experience a few minutes of weightlessness and breathtaking vistas of the world below.
ALSO READ: Blue Origin Wants To Launch Double Flights in 2022 to Meet Demand for Commercial Space Flights
It's unclear how much the mission's paying customers paid, and Blue Origin hasn't revealed a set ticket price. However, CNN said that at least one would-be passenger won a $28 million auction for a seat to ride with Bezos last year. However, the individual did not wind up on Bezos' trip.
Virgin Galactic, a competitor in the suborbital space tourism market, is selling its seats for $450,000 each. Whether the passengers spent a few hundred thousand dollars or a few million dollars, it's reasonable to say that these missions will never be accessible to ordinary people.
Who is Flying on Thursday Launch
Marty Allen, a businessman, Sharon Hagle and Marc Hagle, a charitable couple, Jim Kitchen, a teacher and entrepreneur, and George Nield, the head of Commercial Space Technologies, LLC, will all be aboard the NS-20. Gary Lai, the principal creator of the New Shepard system and a Blue Origin employee, is the sixth passenger.
Science Times said Pete Davidson of "Saturday Night Live" was slated to take Lai's spot. However, Space.com said the actor backed out when the launch date was pushed back from March 23 to March 29.
Celebrities like Davidson have been launched by Blue Origin on suborbital space missions in the past. For example, Blue Origin founder and CEO Jeff Bezos and aviation pioneer Wally Funk were among the passengers on the company's first-ever mission, which launched in July 2021. In October 2021, "Star Trek" star William Shatner flew on the second crewed trip, and in December 2021, NFL Hall of Famer and "Good Morning America" co-host Michael Strahan traveled on the third crewed mission.
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Check out more news and information on Blue Origin in Science Times.
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