Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Jeff Bezos, successfully launched six space tourists on a suborbital flight today, January 22nd. The mission, designated NS-38, marks the company’s 17th human spaceflight and the 38th overall for the New Shepard reusable rocket-capsule system.
Delayed Launch, Full Crew
The launch from Blue Origin’s West Texas site was briefly delayed due to unauthorized personnel in the launch range. Once cleared, the New Shepard vehicle lifted off at 11:25 a.m. EST (1625 GMT; 10:25 a.m. local Texas time). The crew consisted of entrepreneur and pilot Tim Drexler, retired obstetrician/gynecologist Linda Edwards, real estate developer Alain Fernandez, entrepreneur Alberto Gutiérrez, Jim Hendren (retired U.S. Air Force colonel and founder of Hendren Plastics Inc.), and Laura Stiles, Blue Origin’s director of New Shepard launch operations.
Notably, Stiles was added to the crew at the last minute, replacing Andrew Yaffe due to illness. Blue Origin stated that Yaffe will participate in a future New Shepard mission.
Brief Flight, Significant Milestone
The passengers experienced several minutes of weightlessness while crossing the Kármán Line—the internationally recognized boundary of outer space at 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth. Though NASA and the U.S. Air Force consider space to begin lower, at 50 miles (80 km), the flight reached an altitude of nearly 350,000 feet (106,680 meters).
The flight duration was typical for New Shepard missions: the rocket stage completed a powered vertical landing roughly seven minutes after liftoff, followed by the capsule’s parachute-assisted touchdown three minutes later.
Growing Space Tourism Sector
With NS-38, Blue Origin has now flown 98 people to space across its 17 human missions. Of those, 92 are unique individuals, with six having flown on the New Shepard capsule multiple times. The company’s first human spaceflight took place on July 20, 2021—coincidentally, the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Blue Origin’s continued operation demonstrates the growing viability of suborbital space tourism as a commercial venture. While the price point remains high, these flights represent a significant step toward making space accessible to private citizens.
