In a major achievement for space tourism, Blue Origin successfully launched and landed its eighth suborbital space mission today. Led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the company’s reusable New Shepard rocket carried six passengers into space for the NS-26 flight.
The launch took place at 9:07 a.m. EDT (1307 GMT; 8:07 a.m. local time) from Blue Origin’s West Texas launch site. The New Shepard rocket ascended to a peak altitude of approximately 341,000 feet (104,000 meters) before making a safe return to the desert floor at 9:19 a.m. EDT (1319 GMT; 8:19 a.m. local time).
As the crew emerged from the RSS First Step capsule, they celebrated with cheers, and Nicolina Elrick, one of the passengers, excitedly declared, “I went to space!” She was the first to exit the capsule.
The flight was praised for its flawless execution. Blue Origin’s launch commentator, Ariane Cornell, remarked, “That was one of the cleanest flights I’ve seen. But behind every rocket is an exceptional team.”
The NS-26 mission marked the 26th overall flight for New Shepard and the eighth mission with human passengers. These suborbital flights last between 10 and 12 minutes, offering passengers a brief experience of weightlessness and a view above the Kármán line, widely considered the boundary of space.
Blue Origin has not disclosed ticket prices for New Shepard. In comparison, Virgin Galactic, a key competitor in the suborbital space tourism market, currently charges $450,000 per seat.
