Blue Origin’s next space tourism flight is scheduled to take off next week from a spaceport in West Texas.
One of the six passengers is Gary Lai, an architect at the company who spent 18 years designing the New Shepard system, the rocket and capsule used for the launches.
He replaced comedian Pete Davidson, who was invited as an honorary guest but withdrew his participation less than a week before the flight without explanation.
The launch was then postponed from March 23 to March 29.
“Blue Origin's 20th flight of New Shepard has shifted to Tuesday, March 29. Pete Davidson is no longer able to join the NS-20 crew on this mission,” Blue Origin tweeted last week.
The space tourism company has launched 14 people on three New Shepard flights since 2021. They include company owner Jeff Bezos and Star Trek actor William Shatner.
The suborbital flight involves a vertical launch that takes passengers about 106 kilometres above the ground, bringing a few minutes of weightlessness.
It is a 10-minute trip from lift-off near the rural West Texas town of Van Horn to a parachute landing.
Meet the crew
The five other passengers include entrepreneurs, the owner of a non-profit organisation, and a former engineer.
Sharon Hagle founded SpaceKids Global in 2015, a non-profit that helps pupils excel in science, tech, engineering, arts and maths, especially girls.
Marty Allen was the chief executive of Party America, a nationwide retailer. He is also the former chief executive of California Closet Company.
Another passenger is Marc Hagle, the president and chief executive of Tricor International, a residential and commercial property development corporation.
Jim Kitchen is a teacher and entrepreneur who has visited all 193 United Nations-recognised countries.
Dr George Nield is the president of Commercial Space Technologies, an organisation that facilitates and promotes commercial space activities. He also served as the manager of the flight integration office for Nasa’s Space Shuttle Programme.
How can I watch the launch?
The launch will take place at 5.30pm UAE time and will be streamed live on Blue Origin’s website. Coverage will begin an hour before lift-off.
Each passenger will carry a postcard written by school pupils.
The initiative is part of Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, which is aimed at inspiring generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.
Blue Origin launch: in pictures
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UAE adventurer Hamish Harding and five other passengers launched to the edge of space on Blue Origin's New Shepard flight on June 4. Photo: Blue Origin screenshot -
Hamish Harding (second to right) with his fellow passengers prepare for their upcoming NS-21 Blue Origin space tourism flight. Katya Echazarreta (right), Victor Correa Hespanha (third to right), Jaison Robinson (third to left), Victor Vescovo (second to left) and Evan Dick (left). Photo: Blue Origin -
Hamish Harding, a British businessman in the UAE, will fly to the edge of space on a Blue Origin flight. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
From left: Dylan Taylor, Lane Bess, Cameron Bess, Laura Shepard Churchley, Michael Strahan and Evan Dick were launched into space onboard a Blue Origin rocket on Saturday, December 11, 2021. AP -
Billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder of e-commerce company Amazon and Blue Origin, with the crew before the commercial space flight near Van Horn, Texas. Reuters -
Jeff Bezos walks behind the crew as they proceed to board Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. Reuters -
Blast off as the New Shepard rocket heads for space. Blue Origin said that Michael Strahan and Laura Shepard Churchley were 'honorary guests' while the rest of the crew were paying customers. AFP -
The New Shepard rocket soon after launch. The mission is Blue Origin's third manned space flight. AFP -
Spectators near Van Horn, Texas, watch as Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket heads for space. AFP -
Among the crew of the New Shepard rocket was Laura Shepard Churchley, daughter of the first American in space, Alan Shepard, after whom the spacecraft was named. Reuters -
Blue Origin’s New Shepard crew capsule returns back to Earth after a brief suborbital flight on Saturday, December 11, 2021. AFP -
The crew capsule soon after landing in West Texas. AFP -
Laura Shepard Churchley leads the crew after their return from space. She brought along a small piece of her father's capsule and some mementos from his later trip to the lunar surface aboard Apollo 14 in 1971. AFP -
The commercial space flight was slightly longer than 10 minutes and reached an altitude of about 100 kilometres. It was five minutes and 186km shorter than Alan Shepard's inaugural flight. AFP -
Laura Shepard Churchley wears her father's Naval Academy class ring after her trip to space. Reuters -
'Good Morning America' co-anchor and former NFL star Michael Strahan with Laura Shepard Churchley on the landing pad after their return from space. AFP
