(Photo : Blue Origin)
NS-22, the sixth space tourist mission of Blue Origin, will launch from Launch Site One on Thursday, August 4. The broadcast will start 30 minutes prior to liftoff, with the launch window opening at 9:30 a.m. EDT.
It will be the 22nd New Shepard flight. Meanwhile, this mission will be the sixth space tourist flight for the New Shepard program and the third flight this year.
Who Are the Crew That Will Join the Mission
Space.com noted that NS-22 will achieve a number of firsts in spaceflight. For instance, as a member of the NS-22 crew, Vanessa O'Brien will become the first person in history to ascend Mount Everest, go to the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean, and enter space.
Mário Ferreira and Sara Sabry will also make history by becoming the first residents of Portugal and Egypt, respectively, to enter space.
Meanwhile, Coby Cotton, a co-founder of the well-known YouTube channel Dude Perfect, technology pioneer Clint Kelly III, and telecommunications exec Steve Young, make up the other three passengers of NS-22.
Cotton and Sabry's seats are paid by MoonDAO and Space for Humanity, which are organizations dedicated to expanding access to space, as per Space.com.
NS-22 Mission Patch
Blue Origin also released the NS-22 mission patch, which you can view below.
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Blue Origin's Prior Flights
In June, the NS-21 mission was launched. This flight marks the fifth time that New Shepard has carried people, making it the 21st overall, as per Engadget.
Katya Echazarreta, an electrical engineer and former NASA test lead, is among the passengers on this voyage. The outlet noted that she is the youngest American woman and the first person of Mexican descent to fly into space. She is traveling as part of the Citizen Astronaut Program, which is sponsored by Space for Humanity.
Business jet pilot Hamish Harding, co-founder of the private equity firm Insight Equity Victor Vescovo, co-founder of Dream Variation Ventures Jaison Robinson, and investor Evan Dick, who participated in the NS-19 trip in December, are the other three passengers. Lastly, Victor Correa Hespanha, a civil production engineer, will be the second Brazilian in space.
The first crewed flight of Blue Origin was carried out in July 2021 by its founder Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark.
What Is the Goal of Blue Origin
According to its website, in order to save the Earth, Blue Origin envisions a period when mankind can access the infinite resources of space and allow the relocation of destructive industries there.
Blue Origin's initiatives include sending astronauts into space on New Shepard, developing reusable liquid rocket engines, creating an orbital launch vehicle with New Glenn, and constructing next-generation space habitats. These initiatives will write new chapters in the annals of space exploration.
By building safe, affordable, reusable launch vehicles and in-space systems that meet the needs of all civil, commercial, and defense customers, Blue Origin said it is working to build that future today.
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