ORLANDO, Fla. — Blue Origin’s third flight of its New Shepard rocket with human passengers, which had missed its original planned launch window this week, successfully launched into space Saturday carrying former NFL star and “Good Morning America” anchor Michael Strahan plus the daughter of the first American in space and four others.
Liftoff was completed at the company’s West Texas facility at 9:50 a.m. EST.
“The team has completed Flight Readiness Review and confirmed the vehicle has met all mission requirements for launch,” according to a statement Wednesday from the company after it delayed the planned Thursday liftoff because of forecasted high winds.”
Strahan covered for GMA back in July the first launch with passengers that included company founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos, who then organized the invite for the former defensive standout for the New York Giants, as well as Super Bowl winner, to join the latest flight a guest.
Bezos and Strahan appeared on a segment this week for “NFL on FOX,” with whom Strahan also works.
“We cannot send you of all people up into space without a football, and this football when you bring it back down to Earth is going straight to the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Bezos said.
Strahan then joked, “Even if I fumble this ball, it’s just going to float.”
Also flying as a guest is Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of Alan Shepard, who was the second man in space, and first American, when he flew on his 15-minute suborbital flight on board Freedom 7 flight in 1961.
Both she and Strahan are flying free of charge, while the New Shepard capsule will also bring up four paying customers for its roughly 11-minute flight that will take them to the edge of space more than 62 miles above Earth.
Paying customers include Chairman & CEO of Voyager Space Dylan Taylor; Managing Member of Dick Holdings, LLC, Evan Dick; principal and founder of Bess Ventures and Advisory, Lane Bess, as well as his son, Cameron Bess. Lane and Cameron will become the first father-child duo to fly into space, marking another first served up by Blue Origin.
Strahan, meanwhile, at 6 feet, 5 inches, will become the tallest person in space.
It’s the first time the New Shepard capsule will fly with the full capacity of six passengers. Its two previous flights flew with only four. The second flight in October brought actor William Shatner into space.
It is the 19th flight of the New Shepard rocket overall, which features a booster that lifts off and returns to the landing pad while the capsule spends a few minutes in weightlessness before a parachute-assisted landing.
The space tourism endeavor is the first part of the company’s plans. The next step is continued development of its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket that will eventually lift off from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
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