Blue Origin's crewed mission success

Blue Origin has successfully resumed its crewed spaceflight missions with the NS-25 mission, marking a significant milestone after a nearly two-year hiatus. The NS-25 mission, which took place on May 19, 2024, was the 25th flight of the New Shepard program and the seventh human spaceflight for Blue Origin. This mission carried six individuals, including Ed Dwight, who became the oldest person to fly in space at 90 years old. Dwight's inclusion was particularly notable as he was the first Black astronaut candidate selected by the Kennedy administration in 1961 but was not chosen by NASA in subsequent astronaut classes[5][9][10].

The NS-25 mission faced a minor issue with one of the three parachutes on the crew capsule not fully inflating during descent. However, the capsule is designed to land safely with only two parachutes, and all six crew members were reported to be in good condition after landing. The mission's total duration was 9 minutes and 53 seconds, reaching a peak altitude of approximately 106 kilometers[5].

This flight was the first crewed mission since the NS-22 mission in August 2022. The hiatus was due to an engine problem during the uncrewed NS-23 mission in September 2022, which led to a redesign of the booster’s engine and nozzle. Blue Origin resumed flights with the uncrewed NS-24 mission in December 2023, paving the way for the successful NS-25 mission[5][9][10].

The NS-25 crew included:

• Ed Dwight, former U.S. Air Force pilot and first Black astronaut candidate.
• Mason Angel, founder of Industrial Ventures.
• Sylvain Chiron, founder of Brasserie Mont Blanc.
• Ken Hess, software engineer and founder of Science Buddies.
• Carol Schaller, retired accountant and adventure traveler.
• Gopi Thorakura, pilot and wellness center operator[5][9][10].

This mission underscores Blue Origin's commitment to advancing space tourism and its ability to overcome technical challenges to ensure the safety and success of its flights.

Citations:
[1] https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-24-mission-announcement
[2] https://www.blueorigin.com/news/ns-20-mission-updates
[3] https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-25-mission-announcement
[4] https://www.blueorigin.com/news/first-human-flight-updates
[5] https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-resumes-crewed-new-shepard-suborbital-flights/
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Shepard
[7] https://www.space.com/19584-blue-origin-quiet-plans-for-spaceships.html
[8] https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-19-mission-updates
[9] https://www.geekwire.com/2024/blue-origin-crewed-suborbital-space-trip/
[10] https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-to-resume-crewed-new-shepard-flights/
[11] https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/12/19/unmanned-blue-origin-tourism-rocket-successfully-launched-from-west-texas/?sh=58da0086fde4
[12] https://www.blueorigin.com/new-shepard
[13] https://www.techtimes.com/articles/304777/20240519/blue-origin-resumes-crewed-flights-successful-ns-25-mission.htm
[14] https://dailygalaxy.com/2024/05/blue-origins-space-tourism-ns-25-launch/
[15] https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/blue-origins-space-tourism-program-to-restart-after-2-year-hiatus/story