Blue Origin's most recent New Shepard launch will lifted off April 14, at 9:30 a.m. ET (1330 GMT) on an historic flight carrying the first all-female spaceflight crew since the first woman to launch into orbit in 1963. The NS-31 mission was Blue Origin's 31st New Shepard launch, and 11th crewed flight. to space, and others on a short suborbital trip.
NS-31 was arranged by journalist and author Lauren Sánchez, fiancée of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. She was joined by pop superstar Katy Perry, CBS News' Gayle King, astrophysicist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn.
Katy Perry Going to Space | Blue Origin | New Shepard | Space Tourism
It's launch day for Blue Origin's NS-20 space tourists
Blue Origin is counting down to launch its next space tourist mission, NS-20, from its Launch Site One in West Texas today. The mission will launch at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT) and you'll be able to watch it live on Space.com beginning at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT).
Today's mission will mark Blue Origin's first crewed flight of 2022 and the company's fourth crewed flight overall since it began launching passengers to space in July 2021. That first Blue Origin carried the company's founder Jeff Bezos, among others. Bezos will likely be on hand for today's launch as he has driven past crews to the launch pad himself.
This mission will carry six passengers. They include:
- Gary Lai, the chief architect of the New Shepard system, a reusable rocket-capsule combo. He joined Blue Origin in 2004 and was one of its first 20 employees;
- Sharon Hagle, the founder of SpaceKids Global, a nonprofit that was established in 2015 to encourage students, especially girls, to push forward their STEAM (science, technology, education, art and math) education and pursue careers in space. SpaceKids is also a participant in "Postcards to Space," a program run by Blue Origin's nonprofit organization Club for the Future.
- Marc Hagle, husband of Sharon, is president and CEO of the property development corporation Tricor International.
- Marty Allen, a past CEO and a current angel investor and mentor. He was the former CEO of the California Closet Company, which provides custom home storage ideas, along with Party America, which is now a nationwide retailer.
- Jim Kitchen, a faculty member of the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and an entrepreneur.
- George Nield, president of Commercial Space Technologies, LLC, which seeks to broaden commercial space activities, and the former associate administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation.
Gary Lai and George Nield are flying on this mission as guests of Blue Origin, while the other crewmembers are paying passengers. Blue Origin has not disclosed what each of the paying passengers have paid for a flight on New Shepard, or what a single seat costs.
The NS-20 crew has spent the last two days training for today's flight. Here are some photos from the training.
Blue Origin NS-20 launch webcast live
Blue Origin's launch webcast for the NS-20 mission is live about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Blue Origin appears to now be targeting 9:10 a.m. EDT (1310 GMT) for its launch today.
Blue Origin reports it is running ahead of its timeline for today's planned launch. Here's a look at the launch timeline from Blue Origin.
We’re running ahead of schedule; live webcast will begin at 7:10 am CDT / 12:10 UTC on https://t.co/7Y4TherpLr. Here are the key moments during today’s countdown to launch to look for on the webcast:March 31, 2022
#NewShepard is on the pad for its 20th mission. Flight controllers are working through nominal check-outs in advance of today’s launch. Before liftoff, meet the #NS20 crew as they prepare for their journey to space. pic.twitter.com/O999O1Zdw1March 31, 2022
Blue Origin gives go for NS-20 crew departure.
Blue Origin has cleared its NS-20 space tourist passengers to head to the launch pad and board their New Shepard spacecraft.
The passengers will head over in electric Riven trucks. Once at the Launch Site One pad, they'll climb seven flights of stairs and cross a gantry to board New Shepard.
It's currently dark at Blue Origin's launch site as the sun has yet to rise.
Blue Origin NS-20 crew arrives at launch pad
Blue Origin's NS-20 crew has arrived at Launch Site One to prepare to board their New Shepard spacecraft. As they arrived, dawn broke over their West Texas launch site.
The private astronauts are now climbing the seven-story gantry to reach the boarding level for New Shepard.
Blue Origin passenger carrying Ukrainian flag to space
Blue Origin NS-20 passenger Jim Kitchen will take a small Ukrainian flag to space on New Shepard's launch, along with the passport he used to visit the country, which will be in the flight suit pocket over his heart for today's launch, Blue Origin reports.
The NS-20 crew has arrived at their New Shepard capsule and are now ingressing the spacecraft. Earlier, they crossed a gantry and rang a ceremonial ships bell before reaching the capsule.
Blue Origin holds countdown for NS-20 launch
Blue Origin has stopped its launch countdown at T-10 minutes from launch.
The company has not stated the reason for the hold yet.
The NS-20 passengers are buckled in for launch and just received a message from Blue Origin's NS-19 crew, the first six-person crew. One message from Michael Strahan was particularly cheering: "This is the best ride ever have, but it's way too short," he wrote.
Gantry pulls away from New Shepard rocket
The gantry of Blue Origin's Launch Site One has pulled away from the New Shepard rocket as the NS-20 crew awaits launch.
Blue Origin is still at T-9 minutes, 59 seconds and holding as flight controllers check the rocket's systems and weather conditions for today's launch.
New Shepard remains in a hold
Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle remains in a hold at T-9:59 as the delay nears half an hour. The company has not offered any details about the cause of the hold. Astronauts remain strapped into their seats in the capsule.
Countdown resumes!
Blue Origin has resumed counting down to launch today; launch will now occur just a few minutes before 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT).
Final minutes to launch
Launch of Blue Origin's NS-20 crewed mission is less than 3 minutes away, with final checks underway.
Lift-off!
Stage separation
New Shepard's booster and capsule seen shortly after separation on March 31, 2022.
Unofficial numbers suggest that Blue Origin's NS-20 mission reached an apogee of about 351,000 feet (107,000 meters).
Back to Earth
Both booster and capsule have touched down in the West Texas desert at the end of about 10 minutes of flight for six passengers.
Safe landing
Blue Origin personnel have spoken with all six crewmembers inside the landed capsule and are approaching the touchdown site to retrieve the passengers.
Stepping out
Blue Origin personnel are on scene at the landing site and are preparing to assist the six crewmembers out of the New Shepard capsule.
"The most beautiful thing I've ever seen"
All six passengers have exited the New Shepard capsule and reunited with friends and family who were on hand to greet them. They will now receive astronaut wings from Blue Origin's Audrey Powers, who herself flew on a mission in October.
Hear from Blue Origin passengers
Passengers on today's Blue Origin suborbital launch shared their comments about the flight after exiting the capsule. "That is an eternal black," Jim Kitchen said of his view of space. "It's just breathtaking."
Blue Origin's next space tourist flight
Blue Origin is counting down to the launch of its NS-21 space tourist mission on June 4 from the company's West Texas-based Launch Site One near Van Horn. Liftoff is set for 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT), with a webcast beginning one hour before launch time at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).
The mission has been delayed since May 20, when technical issues and the need for more booster checks on its New Shepard rocket prompted the company to stand down from the mission.
NS-21 will launch six passengers on a short suborbital spaceflight, with the New Shepard booster returning to Earth for a vertical landing and the crew capsule parachuting to the surface shortly afterward.
The crew of Blue Origin's NS-21 mission includes:
Evan Dick
Evan Dick will be the first person to fly aboard a New Shepard spacecraft twice, having been a participant in the NS-19 mission of Dec. 11, 2021. He is a pilot, engineer, investor and managing member of Dick Holdings, LLC. Previously, he was senior vice president of D.E. Shaw and managing director of Highbridge Capital Management. He supports the Darwin Foundation, Population Relief International Corp. and Starfighters Aerospace either through charity or as a volunteer, according to Blue Origin's NS-21 mission announcement.
Katya Echazarreta
Katya Echazarreta, born in Guadalajara, will become the first Mexican-born individual to visit space. She is the co-host of the YouTube series "Netflix IRL" and "Electric Kat" on the CBS show "Mission Unstoppable." She spent nearly four years at NSAA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, working on space missions including the Perseverance Mars rover and Europa Clipper, which will launch toward the Jupiter moon Europa in 2024. She is pursuing a masters degree in electrical and computer engineering at Johns Hopkins University and aims to "provide representation for women and minorities" for those interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), according to Blue Origin. Her seat was sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity.
Hamish Harding
Hamish Harding is chair of the business jet brokerage company Action Aviation, as well as a business jet pilot. He holds several aviation world records, including a 2019 milestone with retired NASA astronaut Terry Virts for breaking a round-the-world record for aircraft flying over the north and south poles. Harding has also visited the South Pole twice and dove to 36,000 feet (nearly 10,100 meters) in a submarine in 2021.
Victor Correa Hespanha
Victor Correa Hespanha, 28, is a civil production engineer from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. His seat was sponsored by the Crypto Space Agency, and he is identifying himself as the world's first cryptonaut. He is also the second Brazilian to fly in space, according to Blue Origin.
Jaison Robinson
Jaison Robinson founded the commercial real estate company JJM Investments and co-founded Dream Variations Ventures with his wife, Jamie. Robinson lists himself as an avid scuba diver and skydiver with a variety of adventurous activities under his belt, such as breaking the sound barrier in a Mig-29 jet, making Eagle Scout, playing water polo at Stanford University and becoming a finalist in "Survivor: Samoa" in 2009.
Victor Vescovo
Victor Vescovo is a co-founder of the private equity investment firm Insight Equity. He completed an "Explorer's Grand Slam," which is an adventurer community term for skiing to the North and South Poles and climbing the highest mountains on the world's seven continents, including Everest. He is a commercially rated multi-engine jet and helicopter pilot, as well as a certified submersible test pilot, and he has visited the Challenger Deep (the deepest point in the ocean) 12 times, according to Blue Origin. He also served 20 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer, retiring as a commander.
Below you can scroll down to see Blue Origin's last space tourist flight NS-20 in March 2022.
Blue Origin clears New Shepard for NS-21 crew launch
Blue Origin has officially given the "go" for its New Shepard rocket to launch six passengers on the suborbital NS-21 mission on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Liftoff is targeted for 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT).
Blue Origin will livestream the launch on YouTube beginning at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). Here's a look at Blue Origin's countdown schedule for the mission.
#NS21 is officially “go” for launch tomorrow. Learn more: https://t.co/1ztUVUURgn. Live webcast of begins at T-60 minutes on https://t.co/7Y4TherpLr. Here’s what to expect on launch day. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/PWHOxAl09vJune 3, 2022
Launch Day for Blue Origin’s NS-21 Space Tourists
The countdown is on for Blue Origin's fifth crewed flight for its New Shepard suborbital launch vehicle and the 21st in its history. Six passengers — including Blue Origin's first repeat customer — are set to lift off at 9:00 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) and you can watch it live on Space.com beginning at 8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).
Today's launch will include the first Mexican-born woman and youngest American woman to become a space tourist and the second Brazilian to fly into space. It also marks the start of Space for Humanity's civilian astronaut program, with the non-profit sending its first sponsored leader on a mission to implement the overview effect here on Earth.
The NS-21 mission's passengers include:
- Evan Dick, the first person to fly on New Shepard twice, having previously launched on NS-19 in December 2021.
- Katya Echazarreta, the first to fly as part of Space for Humanity's sponsored Citizen Astronaut Program, which is led by Dylan Taylor, who flew on NS-19 with Dick.
- Hamish Harding, who previously broke the Round-the-World record for any aircraft flying over the North and South poles, flying alongside former NASA astronaut Terry Virts.
- Victor Correa Hespanha, self-described as the world's first cryptonaut, his seat is sponsored by the Crypto Space Agency.
- Jaison Robinson, a contestant on the television reality show "Survivor" in 2009.
- Victor Vescovo, the first person to repeatedly dive to the deepest point in the ocean, Challenger Deep (now twelve times), including dives with former astronauts Kathy Sullivan and Richard Garriott, as well as his NS-21 crewmate Hamish Harding.
All six passengers either paid for or were sponsored to fly on New Shepard. Blue Origin has not disclosed what each have paid for a flight, or what a single seat costs.
Leading up to today, the NS-21 crew spent two days at Blue Origin’s West Texas launch site training for the launch.
NS-21 Space Tourists Depart for Launch Pad
The space tourists flying on today's NS-21 mission are suited up and have left for their launchpad.
The six are riding to their rocket in electric Riven trucks. Once at Launch Site One, they will climb seven flights of stairs and cross a gantry to board New Shepard.
T-minus 40 minutes and counting...
Passengers Strap Into New Shepard for Launch
After receiving a brief safety review, the six NS-21 space tourists have crossed the gantry and boarded "RSS First Step," Blue Origin's crew-configured capsule. Each crew member has their own window seat — the largest windows ever launched into space.
Message From A Moonwalker
Apollo 16 moonwalker Charlie Duke is in Blue Origin's Mission Control for today's launch and had a special message for the NS-21 crew.
"Congratulations on this flight that you're about to embark on," said Duke. "I know you're going to have an exciting adventure, just as I did 50 years ago."
"Have a great ride and I look forward to seeing you when you get back. Godspeed," he said.
3…2…1… Lift-off!
New Shepard has launched at 9:25 a.m. EDT (1325 GMT).
'RSS First Step' Away!
The New Shepard booster and crew capsule have separated.
Soon, the booster will begin its descent back to Earth as the capsule, "RSS First Step," coasts the rest of the way to space.
Welcome to Space!
Unofficial numbers suggest that Blue Origin's NS-21 passengers reached an apogee of about 351,183 feet (107,040 meters).
Katya Echazarreta, Hamish Harding, Victor Correa Hespanha, Jaison Robinson and Victor Vescovo are now the 623rd to 627th people to fly above the U.S.-recognized boundary of 50 miles (80 km) to become astronauts. (Evan Dick, having flown before, was number 609.)
Back to Earth
The New Shepard rocket that launch today's NS-21 mission has returned to Earth, firing its engine for a propulsive landing on four legs.
This was the seventh launch and landing for this booster.
Touchdown!
The New Shepard crew capsule with Evan Dick, Katya Echazarreta, Hamish Harding, Victor Correa Hespanha, Jaison Robinson and Victor Vescovo aboard has safely landed, depending under parachutes and being cushioned by a last-minute blast of air.
Egress
All six NS-21 astronauts are now out of their ride to space and are celebrating their successful spaceflight with family members and Blue Origin officials.
NS-22 crew announced
Blue Origin unveiled the identities of the next six individuals who will fly to suborbital space. The passengers for the NS-22 mission include the first Egyptian and Portuguese astronauts, Blue Origin announced July 22.
A flight date has not yet been announced, but the timing will be revealed soon, the company added in a statement. The six individuals include:
- Sara Sabry, founder of the Deep Space Initiative and the first person from Egypt to fly to space;
- Mário Ferreira, president of Pluris Investments group and the first person from Portugal to fly into space;
- Vanessa O'Brien, a former financial manager and current British-American explorer seeking to become the first woman to complete the Explorers' extreme trifecta of reaching space;
- Clint Kelly III, former military official including at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA);
- Steve Young, who ran a telecommunications contracting business in Florida;
- Coby Cotton, who co-founded the YouTube channel Dude Perfect.
More information is available in our Blue Origin NS-22 announcement story.
Watch Blue Origin launch NS-22 to suborbital space
The next crew to launch on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is scheduled to fly Thursday (Aug. 4) at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT).
The sixth human spaceflight for the company will see a New Shepard suborbital vehicle lift off from Blue Origin's West Texas site. You can watch live here at Space.com, courtesy of Blue Origin, or directly via the company. Coverage will begin 30 minutes before launch.
The mission — known as NS-22 because it's the 22nd overall New Shepard flight — will carry six people, including Coby Cotton, one of the founders of the popular YouTube channel Dude Perfect.
Read more: Watch Blue Origin launch 6 people to suborbital space today
Blue Origin delays launch to 9:50 EDT
A Twitter update from Blue Origin says the mission has been delayed by about 20 minutes to 9:50 a.m. EDT (1350 GMT).
"#NewShepard is on the pad," the update stated. "The countdown clock is proceeding towards liftoff within today’s launch window. Due to overnight storms at Launch Site One, we are currently targeting T-0 time at 8:50 a.m. CDT / 13:50 UTC."
NS-22 climbing into New Shepard spacecraft
Following audio issues that affected the broadcast, the NS-22 group is now visible on screen showing the six people climbing into the New Shepard spacecraft.
New Shepard launch enters hold
The NS-22 launch is in a hold; Blue Origin officials have not yet said on the broadcast why, or how long it will last.
New Shepard exits hold
The NS-22 mission has exited its hold with an approximate launch time now of 9:57 a.m. EDT (1357 GMT).
NS-22 go for launch
After a poll in Blue Origin's Mission Control, NS-22 is go for launch.
Liftoff on NS-22
Blue Origin's NS-22 lifted off at 9:57 a.m. EDT (1357 GMT) on the company's sixth suborbital crewed spaceflight.
Main engine cutoff of NS-22
The NS-22 mission has now achieved main engine cutoff, with New Shepard getting ready to enter suborbital space for a brief "weightless" period for its passengers.
Crew now floating free during NS-22 missions
"Sounds like they're having fun upstairs," the Blue Origin broadcast said as the passengers of NS-22 floated free during their brief weightless period. Audio of their exclamations came down from suborbital space, with one of the passengers shouting, "We're doing it!"
NS-22 booster makes a landing
The Blue Origin booster that hefted the NS-22 spacecraft into space has made a landing near the launch site in Texas.
NS-22 descending under parachute
The NS-22 crew is now descending under their parachute, back to Earth.
Touchdown of NS-22
Touchdown of NS-22 was just achieved in the Texas desert.
NS-22 passengers exit the New Shepard spacecraft
The six passengers of NS-22 are exiting their Blue Origin New Shepard spacecraft, meeting with family, friends and well-wishers in the Texas desert.
To recap: New Shepard lifted off from Blue Origin's West Texas site at 9:57 a.m. EDT (1357 GMT) and was back on Earth about 11 minutes later.
The six people on board were Coby Cotton, one of the founders of the popular YouTube channel Dude Perfect; Mário Ferreira and Sara Sabry, who became the first people from Portugal and Egypt, respectively, to reach space; technology pioneer Clint Kelly III; telecommunications executive (not former NFL quarterback) Steve Young; and Vanessa O'Brien.
Read more: Blue Origin launches 6 people on company's 6th space tourism mission
Blue Origin space tourists celebrate successful mission
While one of the Blue Origin NS-22 passengers joked his group was "not going to die" on the way down from space Thursday (Aug. 4), the six space tourists told reporters the 11-minute flight was the experience of a lifetime.
"It was more than anything I can put words to. To be honest, I did not expect it to be so emotional," said mechanical and biomedical engineer Sara Sabry, the first person from Egypt to reach space. Sabry is also the founder of Deep Space Initiative (DSI), a nonprofit aiming to increase accessibility for space research.
The mission is Blue Origin's sixth crewed spaceflight.
Read more: 'Woohoo! We're not going to die!' Blue Origin space tourists celebrate successful mission
New Shepard vehicle grounded after launch abort
The next crewed spaceflight for Blue Origin will have to wait. The company's New Shepard booster and capsule are grounded as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducts a standard accident investigation into an in-flight abort that happened on Monday (Sept. 16).
The mishap caused no injuries and no damage to public property, according to the FAA, which licenses commercial space launches, but the administration grounded the system as per normal procedure.
Full story: Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket grounded as FAA investigates launch failure
Congress asks for Blue Origin investigation transparency
The ongoing investigation of Blue Origin by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is under more government scrutiny.
Congressional leaders of the House Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics recently issued a letter asking the FAA to keep them informed. The failure took place on an uncrewed launch, but another variant of New Shepard launches passengers to suborbital space.
Full story: Congress wants transparency on Blue Origin launch failure investigation by FAA
Blue Origin will return husband-wife pair to suborbital space
Sharon Hagle, founder of the non-profit SpaceKids Global, will fly to suborbital space alongside husband Marc (president and CEO of the property development corporation Tricor International) during a future Blue Origin flight.
The timing for the New Shepard spacecraft flight has not been disclosed yet, amid an anomaly investigation during an uncrewed flight last month.
Read more: Blue Origin will return husband-and-wife passengers to suborbital space
Blue Origin may wrap up failed launch investigation this month, targets 2023 for crewed launches resuming
Blue Origin may complete its investigation of a September uncrewed launch failure this month, and expects to launch people in 2023, the company said recently.
Audrey Powers, the company's vice-president of the New Shepard rocket mission and flight operations, gave the news at a November conference in Washington, D.C. and Blue Origin officials confirmed the information with Bloomberg in an emailed statement.
In 2021, the company faced highly negative allegations about its culture and the safety of its suborbital launch system, New Shepard. It has launched six crews to date and the launch failure in September is the only major one to date on the system since its first 2015 flight, demonstrating how spaceflight is still hard.
Blue Origin launching NS-26 tourist flight Aug. 29
Blue Origin is set to launch its second crewed flight since an anomaly grounded its flight two years ago.
On Thursday (Aug. 29), Blue Origin's NS-26 mission will launch six people to suborbital space in the company's RSS First Step capsule atop a New Shepard booster.
Liftoff is scheduled for 9 a.m. EDT (8 a.m. CDT; 1330 GMT) from the company's West Texas spaceport. Blue Origin will stream a live webcast on its NS-26 mission page and on its YouTube channel. The webcast should start about 40 minutes before liftoff.
Blue Origin 'Go' for launch of NS-26 mission
Blue Origin is go for launch of the NS-26 mission around 9:10 a.m. ET (1310 GMT).
The mission will launch six tourists to suborbital space atop a Blue Origin New Shepard booster. It will be only the second launch since an anomaly grounded the company's fleet two years ago.
Watch it live here courtesy of Blue Origin.
Blue Origin launches, lands 6 passengers on NS-26 mission
Blue Origin safely launched six people to space today, bringing them back for a touch down in the Texas desert.
The company's New Shepard rocket launched at 9:10 a.m. EDT (1310 GMT; 8:10 a.m. local Texas time). The flight reached a maximum altitude of around 341,000 feet (104,000 meters) before coming back for a touchdown in the West Texas dust around 9:19 a.m. EDT (1319 GMT or 8:19 a.m. local time).
"Up and back. That is just one of the cleanest flights I've seen from this rocket. But behind every rocket is an extraordinary team," said Blue Origin launch commentator Ariane Cornell upon the capsule's return. Read our wrap story for details.
Watch Blue Origin launch 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli, 5 others on tourism flight today
Blue Origin will launch its ninth space tourism flight this morning (Nov. 22).
The mission — known as NS-28, because it will be the 28th launch overall of Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle — is scheduled to lift off from the company's West Texas spaceport during a window that opens at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT; 9:30 a.m. local time in Texas).
Blue Origin will stream the launch live, beginning 30 minutes before liftoff. You can watch the action here on Space.com, courtesy of Blue Origin, as well as on the company's website. The stream will also be simulcast on the Space.com YouTube channel, VideoFromSpace.
Read more: Watch Blue Origin launch 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli, 5 others on tourism flight today
Blue Origin crew, including history's 100th woman to fly to space, lands safely
"The Space Gal" is now the 100th woman to fly to space.
Emily Calandrelli, who adopted her online persona long before she booked a trip with Blue Origin, lifted off on Friday (Nov. 22) as one of the six passengers aboard the company's New Shepard rocket. The 10-minute suborbital flight — of which about four minutes were spent in space — launched and landed at Blue Origin's West Texas site.
Read more: Blue Origin crew, including history's 100th woman to fly to space, lands safely
NS-31 crew nears New Shepard liftoff
Blue Origin's NS-31 mission is slated to launch the first all-female crew fly to the edge of space and back. The crew includes Amanda Nguyen, a civil rights activist who will become the first Vietnamese woman to fly to space, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, pop superstar Katy Perry, film producer Kerianne Flynn, entrepreneur and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez — partner of Blue Origin's billionaire founder Jeff Bezos.
NS-31 will take off from Blue Origin's West Texas launch site on Monday, April 14 at 9:30 a.m. ET (1330 GMT). A livestream of the launch will be available on Space.com, courtesy of Blue Origin.
Read more: Katy Perry, Gayle King blast off on star-studded all-female Blue Origin rocket launch on April 14
NS-31 crew arrives in Texas ahead of launch
The star-studded crew of Blue Origin's NS-31 mission have arrived in West Texas, where the company's Launch Site One is located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north Van Horn. Between now and Monday, the all-woman crew will wrap up final pieces of training and finish preparations for the spaceflight Monday morning.
NS-31 is scheduled to liftoff Monday, at 9:30 a.m. ET (1330 GMT), and will carry Aisha Bowe, Kerianna Flynn, Gayle King, Amanda Nguyen, Katy Perry and Lauren Sanchez to the edge of space. This will be Blue Origin's 11th crewed rocket launch.
Blue Origin all-female crew get designer flight suits
With less than 24 hours to go for launch, Blue Origin has unveiled the new designer flight suits for its all-female crew (which includes pop star Katy Perry) for the NS-31 mission will wear when they launch on New Shepard.
The flight suits were designed by Monse and are made of flame-resistant stretch neoprene, rather than the typical polyester of Blue Origin's standard flight suits, according to a report from the New York Times.
Welcome to West Texas, NS-31 crew! pic.twitter.com/8dFPqiaiZWApril 13, 2025
Blue Origin unveiled the suits in a crew photo on April 12, the anniversary of the first human spaceflight in 1961 by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (and NASA's own first space shuttle launch in 1981).
You can watch the Blue Origin NS-31 launch on Space.com on Monday, April 14, at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). Liftoff is set for 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT).
Check out our launch preview story for Katy Perry's flight.
And Perry isn't the only celebrity Blue Origin has launched to space. Here's our full list of Blue Origin's celebrity astronauts.
T-90 minutes until Blue Origin NS-31 launch
After a rigorous weekend of training in preparation for their flight, the crew of Blue Origin's NS-31 are ready for their launch.
Blue Origin is has begun fueling its New Shepard rocket ahead of NS-31 crew members Katy Perry, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Kerianna Flynn, Amanda Nguyen and Lauren Sanchez journey to the launchpad to board their rocket.
NS-31 launch day is here! ➡️ Live webcast: Begins at 7 a.m. CDT➡️ Launch window: Opens at 8:30 a.m. CDT➡️ https://t.co/TRUdJLGeBb pic.twitter.com/U1Pqe2LthCApril 14, 2025
NS-31 will be streamed on Blue Origin's website 90 minutes before liftoff, and it will be simulcast on YouTube and the Blue Origin X account. The broadcast will also be carried at the top of this page as well as the Space.com homepage and YouTube channel.
T-30 minutes: Crew boarding
NS-31 crew members Katy Perry, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Kerianna Flynn, Amanda Nguyen and Lauren Sanchez have ascended the launch tower, rung the bells, and begun boarding the New Shepard capsule with 30 minutes to go before the liftoff of their suborbitral mission.
The NS-31 mission will last about 11 minutes, with the New Shepard booster landing about tow miles downrange of the launchpad about 7.5 minutes after liftoff, and the capsule parachuting down around four to five minutes later.
This NS-31 crew is embarking on a mission to transform their perspectives of Earth and create a lasting impact that inspires future generations. Learn more about the crew before their flight to space today.April 14, 2025
NS-31 is streamed on Blue Origin's website, and simulcast on YouTube and the Blue Origin X account. The broadcast is also located at the top of this page and the Space.com YouTube channel.
T-9 minutes: Mission control polls "go"
Blue Origin is 9 minutes away from launching the first all-female crew to fly to space since the first woman to pass the Karman line in 1963. "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King, pop superstar Katy Perry, film producer Kerianne Flynn, entrepreneur and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez will liftoff at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT — 8:30 a.m. CT, local Texas time).
At T-9 minutes, Blue Origin mission control operators polled "go" for launch, signaling the confirmation to proceed the countdown towards the NS-31 liftoff.
T-1 minute: All systems "go"
All systems are "go". The launch tower gantry arm has retracted, and Blue Origin is one minute away from liftoff of the NS-31 mission, and the company's 11th crewed spaceflight. Katy Perry, Gayle King, Amanda Nguyen, Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez face about 11 minutes of flight, with 3 to 4 minutes of weightlessness above the Kármán Line.
What to expect:
00:00 - Liftoff
— Max-Q
— Main Engine cutoff
02:40 - Booster separation
— Aerobrake deploy
— Engine reignition
07:30 - New Shepard booster landing
— Capsule drogue chutes deploy
— Capsule main cutes deploy
~10:30 - Crew capsule landing.
LIFTOFF!
Liftoff of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket and the NS-31 mission with the first all-female crew since 1963!
Booster separation
The New Shepard booster has separated from the RSS Karman Line capsule and begun its descent to its landing zone, 2 miles downrange of the Launch Site One. The RSS Karman Line will continue on an arced trajectory into space, where they will experience several minutes of weightlessness.
Booster landing
The Blue Origin New Shepard booster has successfully performed a vertical propulsive landing about 2 miles downrange of the Launch Site One. Meanwhile, Blue Origin has continued their livestream, broadcasting the crew's audio as they experience space.
Capsule touchdown!
Safe landing of the NS-31 crew!
Capsule touchdown. Welcome back, NS-31 crew!April 14, 2025
Parachute deploy!
The New Shepard RSS Karman Line capsule has deployed its parachutes and will touchdown shortly.
Crew disembarks
The Blue Origin NS-31 crew, successfully touched down in the West Texas desert, have exited their New Shepard capsule. Pop star Katy Perry, "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King, author and bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, STEMBoard CEO and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, film producer Kerianne Flynn and mission leader, journalist and pilot Lauren Sánchez have been to space and back.
Blue Origin NS-31 mission success
All six crew members of the Blue Origin NS-31 flight have exited the New Shepard capsule and begun the celebration of their mission with their friends and family back on Earth. The historic launch marks the first spaceflight of an all-female crew since the first woman flew to space in 1963, when the Soviet Union's Valentina Tereshkova flew a solo mission into Earth orbit.
Key stats from today’s New Shepard crewed NS-31 mission: The Crew Capsule reached an apogee of 346,802 ft AGL / 350,449 ft MSL (106 km AGL / 107 km MSL).The booster reached an apogee of 346,481 ft AGL / 350,128 ft MSL (106 km AGL / 107 km MSL).Official launch time was…April 14, 2025
Blue Origin's all-female space crew hails historic flight
The six women who launched into space on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket today are ecstatic about their historic flight, the first launch of an all-female crew since Valentina Tereshkova launched in 1962 to become the first woman in space.
Blue Origin's NS-31 mission crew included former NASA aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, journalist and CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, feminist activist Amanda Nguyen, famed pop star Katy Perry, and journalist and pilot Lauren Sanchez. In interviews and comments after the flight, the six women began to share how the 11-minute spaceflight changed them.
A firework in space
Perhaps the biggest celebrity on the flight was Katy Perry, who said the launch connected her with love in a way she's never felt before.
Perry carried a small daisy flower to space on the flight in honor of her 4-year-old daughter Daisy, as well as 300 wristbands for children participating in her non-profit Firework Foundation.
Space.com's Mike Wall has the full story of Katy Perry's reaction to flying in space.
The highest high
Of course, Katy Perry wasn't alone on the Bue Origin flight.
Each of the six now-spaceflyers had their opwn unique reaction to seeing Earth from space and floating in weightlessness.
"We're so connected. More connected than you realize. Because you just see...all these things that divide us. But we're not," Sánchez said. "It makes me want to come back and just hug everyone and be like, 'Oh my god, we're in this! We're in this together!'
Space.com's Josh Dinner has our full story on the full reaction of the all-female Blue Origin crew.
A healing flight
Amanda Nguyễn became the first woman of Vietnamese descent to launch into space, achieving a lifetime dream that she once set aside to advocate for sexual assault survivor rights after surviving her own assualt while studying astrophysics at Harvard.
"In this moment, I just want all survivors to know: You can heal. No dream is too wild, and if it's so wild and out there — like going to space — you can absolutely make it through, and it can absolutely be possible," she said after the launch.
Space.com's Monisha Ravisetti has the full story of Nguyễn's launch and reaction to space.
No fear can stop her
Gayle King, the journalist and co-host of CBS Mornings, has said repeatedly she was scared ahead of launch.
She invited former astronauts on her show in the weeks before launch for tips and tricks to prepare for the flight, and even sampled space food to be extra sure (despite the launch being only 11 minutes long). Her lifelong friend Oprah Winfrey, who was there to watch King launch, said in a Blue Origin interview that King is the first one to get scared on a fligth with turbulence, so this launch was a way to face her fears.
"The flight instructor said that I am her best success story. Why? Because she's never had somebody go through the course who's terrified of flying," King said after the launch. "Everybody who's gone through the course is somebody that it's been a life-long dream — they've wanted to do it. So she said I'm her best success story. I'm so proud of me right now. I still can’t believe it."
Read our full story of Gayle King's space launch experience by Space.com contributor Jeff Spry.
But what did they take to space?
Blue Origin's NS-31 crew didn't just launch into space. They took some mementos of Earth along for the mission.
From postcards and little plushies to bracelets and more, each member of the crew took something meaningful to carry close.
Space.com contributor Robert Pearlman has this full report on what the 6 women took to space on Blue Origin's all-female launch.
