Blue Origin's Upcoming NS-25 Mission Set to Take Six Tourists to the Edge of Space

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Blue Origin’s tourism rocket is getting ready to take passengers to the edge of space after a pause of almost two years following a failed uncrewed test flight.

The New Shepard rocket and capsule will take off at 8:30 a.m. CT (9:30 a.m. ET) from Blue Origin’s private ranch in West Texas. You can watch the mission, called NS-25, starting at 7:50 a.m. CT (8:50 a.m. ET) on Blue Origin’s website.

NS-25 is Blue Origin’s seventh crewed flight and will have six customers onboard. The passengers include venture capitalist Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron from Brasserie Mont-Blanc, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, Gopi Thotakura, and Ed Dwight - the first Black astronaut candidate chosen by President John F. Kennedy in 1961.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is seen on the pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This rocket was supposed to launch two astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner-1 Crew Flight Test (CFT) to the International Space Station on May 7, 2024. However, the launch was delayed due to technical issues.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket stands on the pad after the launch of two astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner-1 Crew Flight Test (CFT) was delayed for technical issues prior to a mission to the International Space Station, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. May 7, 2024. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

Joe Skipper/Reuters

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Dwight, who completed training at the Aerospace Research Pilot School and received an Air Force recommendation, did not end up joining the NASA Astronaut Corps. Instead, he pursued a career as an entrepreneur and sculptor. A new National Geographic documentary called "The Space Race" sheds light on Dwight's groundbreaking journey as a Black astronaut.

"I never planned on becoming an astronaut. It wasn't something I had ever dreamed of," Dwight shared in the documentary. "But when the opportunity presented itself, everything shifted."

Ed Dwight attends a screening of "The Space Race" documentary in January in Houston. At 90, Dwight is heading to space more than 60 years after President John F. Kennedy selected him as the nation’s first Black astronaut candidate.

Ed Dwight, a 90-year-old man, recently attended a screening of the documentary "The Space Race" in Houston. Over 60 years ago, President John F. Kennedy chose him as the first Black astronaut candidate.

Dwight, at the age of 90, will be the oldest person to complete the challenge and reach the edge of space, as confirmed by a spokesperson from Blue Origin.

During the mission, the crew will travel at speeds exceeding three times the speed of sound, which is more than 2,000 miles per hour. The rocket will propel the capsule beyond the Kármán line, an area 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth’s surface that is commonly known as the start of outer space, although there is some uncertainty about this boundary.

At the peak of the flight, passengers will enjoy a few minutes of weightlessness and breathtaking views of Earth from the cabin windows.

The launch comes after the successful completion of a science mission in December that did not have any crew on board. This was the first flight of the New Shepard program since an incident over a year ago.

New Shepard’s 2022 failure

A New Shepard rocket and spacecraft were scheduled to carry a set of science instruments into space on September 12, 2022. However, just one minute after liftoff, the rocket experienced what is known as Max Q. This term is used in the aerospace industry to describe the moment of maximum stress on a vehicle. It happens when the rocket is flying at a relatively low altitude, where the atmosphere is thick, but the spacecraft is moving at high speeds. This creates a high-pressure situation for the vehicle.

At that moment, the rocket seemed to release a huge burst of flames. The New Shepard capsule, positioned on top of the rocket, then activated its launch abort system. This caused a small engine to ignite, propelling the capsule away from the malfunctioning rocket for a safe escape. The system functioned as planned, leading the capsule to land safely using parachutes.

Blue Origin later disclosed that the engine nozzle was the reason behind the failure. This component, a large cone directing the fiery exhaust at the bottom of the rocket, experienced a problem. The onboard computers successfully identified the issue and shut down the engine, as reported by the company.

The NS-25 mission will carry a six-person crew, including (from left) Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Ed Dwight, Gopi Thotakura, Mason Angel and Carol Schaller.

The NS-25 mission will carry a six-person crew, including (from left) Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Ed Dwight, Gopi Thotakura, Mason Angel and Carol Schaller.

Blue Origin

No injuries were reported on the ground, and Blue Origin said the science payloads and the capsule could be flown again.

Unfortunately, the rocket was unable to function properly, causing it to crash back to the ground and be destroyed. Normally, after a New Shepard launch, the rocket booster is able to safely guide itself back to land upright for potential reuse.

Artist's concept of the Blue Moon lander.

Artist's concept of the Blue Moon lander.

Blue Origin

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Bezos shared during an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman in December that the escape system, which ejects the capsule to safety, is the most challenging piece of engineering in the rocket. However, he emphasized that this system is what makes him feel confident about allowing anyone to ride on New Shepard.

According to Bezos, the rocket booster has been designed to be as safe and reliable as possible. He pointed out that due to the immense power density involved, it is impossible to guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong. Therefore, the key to enhancing safety is by implementing an escape system.

“A tourism vehicle has to be designed in my view … to be as safe as one can make it,” he said. “You can’t make it perfectly safe. It’s impossible.”

Rocket fix and return to service

The Federal Aviation Administration, responsible for licensing commercial rocket launches and ensuring public safety, conducted an investigation into the failure. It was discovered that the engine nozzle failed due to higher temperatures than expected by the company.

In response to the issue, Blue Origin made changes to the combustion chamber design, where fuel mixes with oxidizer, and adjusted operating parameters for safe flights.

“Additional design changes to the nozzle have improved structural performance under thermal and dynamic loads,” the company said in a March 2023 statement.

In an artist's illustration, the black hole pulls material from a companion star towards, forming a disc that rotates around the black hole before falling into it.

In an artist's illustration, the black hole pulls material from a companion star towards, forming a disc that rotates around the black hole before falling into it.

NASA/CXC/M. Weiss

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The FAA completed the investigation into the mishap on September 27, 2023. They specified 21 "corrective actions" that Blue Origin must follow before resuming flights. However, the details of these actions were not disclosed due to containing proprietary and export control information.

Following the necessary changes and the successful December flight of New Shepard, Blue Origin is now ready to resume its space trips for adventure enthusiasts.

New Shepard rockets had a successful track record before the September 2022 failure. They completed 22 consecutive missions, with six of them carrying passengers. In 2021, Bezos himself flew aboard the rocket. Other famous space tourists who have traveled on New Shepard include William Shatner from "Star Trek" and Michael Strahan from "Good Morning America."

This report includes contributions from CNN's Madeline Holcombe.

Editor's P/S:

Blue Origin's impending return to space tourism is an exciting development in the realm of space exploration and commercial space travel. The successful completion of the December science mission and the necessary corrective actions taken after the 2022 failure demonstrate the company's commitment to safety and innovation. The upcoming NS-25 mission, with its diverse crew including the historic inclusion of Ed Dwight, promises to be a significant milestone in the democratization of space travel.

The inclusion of Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate chosen by President John F. Kennedy, highlights the importance of diversity and representation in the space industry. His journey, as depicted in the National Geographic documentary "The Space Race," serves as an inspiration to aspiring astronauts from all backgrounds. Dwight's presence on the NS-25 mission not only marks a personal triumph but also symbolizes the progress made in breaking down barriers in space exploration.