Space Industry and Business News
SPACE TRAVEL
Blue Origin completes latest space tourism flight
Blue Origin completes latest space tourism flight
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Aug 29, 2024

Blue Origin flew its latest group of six thrill-seekers to the edge of space and back again Thursday, including the youngest-ever woman to complete the feat.

Mission NS-26 marked the eighth human spaceflight for the company, founded by Jeff Bezos, as it presses ahead in the emerging suborbital tourism market.

Karsen Kitchen, a 21-year-old senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, became the youngest woman ever to cross the Karman Line, the internationally recognized boundary marking the edge of space, 100 kilometers (62 miles) above the Earth's surface.

Blue Origin's small New Shepard rocket blasted off at 8:00 am local time (1300 GMT) from the company's Launch Site One base in west Texas.

After liftoff, the sleek and spacious capsule separated from its booster, which boasts zero carbon emissions, before the rocket performed a precise vertical landing.

As the spaceship soared beyond the Karman Line, passengers had the chance to marvel at the Earth's curvature and unbuckle their seatbelts to float during a few minutes of weightlessness.

"Being there in the darkness of space... there's no way to talk about how impressive that is," said Rob Ferl, a NASA-funded researcher who conducted an experiment during the flight.

The capsule then reentered the atmosphere, deploying its parachutes for a desert landing near the launch site. The total flight time is typically around 10 to 11 minutes.

Blue Origin does not publicly disclose the cost of its tickets, but prices are believed to vary significantly based on the individual selected, their net worth, and the social capital they bring to the company.

The first seat sold in a 2021 charity auction went for $28 million, but notable guests like Star Trek actor William Shatner have flown on Blue Origin flights for free. Others have reported paying several hundred thousand dollars.

Blue Origin's main competitor in the suborbital space market, Virgin Galactic, is currently on a two-year pause from commercial operations as it upgrades its fleet.

ia/aha

Virgin Galactic

Related Links
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SPACE TRAVEL
Blue Origin's NS-26 launch set for August 29 with six crew members
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 26, 2024
Blue Origin is gearing up for its eighth human spaceflight, the NS-26 mission, scheduled to launch on Thursday, August 29, from the company's Launch Site One in West Texas. The launch window is set to open at 8:00 AM CDT / 1300 UTC, with live coverage starting 40 minutes prior on BlueOrigin.com. The NS-26 mission will be crewed by six passengers: Nicolina Elrick, Rob Ferl, Eugene Grin, Dr. Eiman Jahangir, Karsen Kitchen, and Ephraim Rabin. Among the crew, Karsen Kitchen is poised to make history a ... read more

SPACE TRAVEL
NASA collaborates with DARPA on robotic satellite servicing

Bright Ascension and ERETS Forge Partnership to Boost Global Space Debris Solutions

AiRANACULUS Expands NASA Contract for Innovative Space Communications Technology

10 Modern Landscaping Ideas to Transform Your Outdoor Space

SPACE TRAVEL
Hughes and Boost Mobile Showcase Advanced Network Management for U.S. Navy

Orbit Secures $6 Million Contract for Advanced Naval Satellite Communication Systems in Asia

Tyvak Secures $254 Million Contract to Build Satellites for Space Development Agency's T2TL Gamma

SDA allocates $424M for 20 Gamma Variant satellites for Tranche 2

SPACE TRAVEL
SPACE TRAVEL
Galileo satellites enter service after in-orbit testing

LEO satellites enhance GPS accuracy through ground station integration

TrustPoint Secures $3.8M in SpaceWERX Direct-to-Phase II Contracts

UK to build military test site to combat GPS jamming

SPACE TRAVEL
EU orders Airbus A350 inspections after Cathay engine fire

Zelensky dismisses Ukraine air force commander after F-16 crash

UK navy personnel dead after helicopter crash in Channel

Iraq agrees deal to buy 14 Airbus military helicopters

SPACE TRAVEL
Scaling quantum computing by reducing error impact and enhancing efficiency

Quantum innovation scales down as Sandia and ASU team up for integrated photonics

Block copolymer enables sub-8 nm line widths in semiconductor manufacturing

Strengthening lattices, yields ultra-high efficiency in Perovskite LEDs

SPACE TRAVEL
NASA Discovers a Long-Sought Global Electric Field on Earth

Sentinel-2C Set for September Launch Aboard Vega Rocket

What you should know about Sentinel-2 climate satellites

Earth scientists take flight, set sail to verify PACE satellite data

SPACE TRAVEL
Assessing microplastic contamination in marine plankton to mitigate global pollution

Burning trash a major source of plastic pollution: study

Air pollution declined in Europe and China in 2023: UN

'Queen of Trash' in dock in Sweden's biggest toxic waste scandal

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.