Blue Origin Sends 6 Tourists to Space, Including First Nigerian, in Milestone New Shepard Flight

On Sunday, Blue Origin completed its 13th human spaceflight, sending six astrotourists on a brief but thrilling journey to the edge of space. The mission, conducted by the Jeff Bezos-owned space company, lasted approximately 10 minutes and marked another milestone in its sub-orbital tourism program. The flight lifted off from Blue Origin’s launch facility near Van Horn, Texas, slightly later than planned due to earlier high winds, but the weather aligned with safety protocols on launch day.

New Shepard Reaches Space, Passengers Experience Weightlessness and Historic Milestone in Flight

The mission featured the New Shepard capsule, propelled by its stubby, single-stage booster powered by a hydrogen-fueled BE-3 engine. The launch commenced at 9:38 a.m. EDT, with the rocket accelerating to nearly three times the speed of sound during its two-and-a-half-minute ascent. Once the booster completed its engine burn, the capsule separated and continued coasting upward, carrying the passengers into microgravity.

Among the crew were Allie and Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., Jim Sitkin, and Owolabi Salis, who made history as the first Nigerian to travel to space. As the capsule reached an altitude of about 65 miles—three miles above the internationally recognized boundary of space—the passengers experienced approximately three minutes of weightlessness.

During this time, they unstrapped from their seats and floated freely, enjoying sweeping views through the largest windows found in any current operational spacecraft.

Precision Landing Marks Milestone as Blue Origin Leads Sub-Orbital Space Tourism Market

Following their brief time in microgravity, the capsule began its descent back to Earth. Passengers returned to their seats as the spacecraft reentered the atmosphere and prepared for landing. The booster, meanwhile, executed a controlled tail-first landing at the launch site. The capsule followed shortly after, descending gently under three parachutes and landing closer to the pad than any previous mission. Blue Origin attributed the pinpoint accuracy to favorable wind conditions and robust safety modeling.

With this latest flight, Blue Origin has now flown a total of 74 people into space since July 2021, when Jeff Bezos himself participated in the inaugural human mission. The cost of a seat remains undisclosed, though estimates suggest it exceeds $500,000.

For now, Blue Origin has no direct competition, as Virgin Galactic—its closest rival—paused operations in June 2024 to develop its next-generation Delta-class spaceplanes. Virgin plans to resume flights in 2026, leaving Blue Origin as the sole operator in the sub-orbital tourism market for the time being.