First Crew Launched to Edge of Space by Bezos’s Blue Origin Since 2022 Grounding

Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s space company, successfully launched a six-person crew to the edge of space from West Texas on Sunday. This marked the resumption of its space tourism operations after its New Shepard rocket was grounded in 2022.

“I am ecstatic,” said Ed Dwight, the oldest person in space at 90 years and eight months, upon landing.

The crew, including Mr. Dwight, was launched from Blue Origin’s facilities near Van Horn in a capsule atop the rocket. The rocket separated from the capsule, which ascended further into space to 65.7 miles, while the booster returned to land as planned.

After a mission lasting around 10 minutes, the capsule returned to Earth under parachutes, with a minor issue of one parachute not fully inflating. Mr. Dwight, who was the first black astronaut candidate selected by former President John F. Kennedy in 1961, expressed his joy upon landing.

Blue Origin has now flown 37 private astronauts, including notable figures like William Shatner. The passengers on this particular flight were paying customers of Blue Origin’s space tourism business, except for Mr. Dwight whose seat was sponsored.

After a mid-flight failure in 2022, New Shepard was grounded, but has now resumed its flights thanks to corrective actions taken by Blue Origin. The company aims to continue its space tourism missions while also focusing on its larger rocket, New Glenn.

Mr. Dwight’s successful journey to space, along with the rest of the crew, marks a significant milestone for Blue Origin as it competes with SpaceX and Virgin Galactic in the space industry.

Overall, the successful mission signals a promising future for Blue Origin as it continues its efforts to advance space exploration and tourism.

By Joey Roulette