Blue Origin Resumes Space Tourism with 90-Year-Old Ed Dwight

May 19, 2024, 03:35 PM

Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, successfully resumed its space tourism operations on Sunday, launching its New Shepard NS-25 mission from West Texas at 10:13am EDT. This marked the company's first crewed flight since a 2022 grounding due to a rocket mishap. The mission carried six passengers, including 90-year-old Ed Dwight, America's first Black astronaut candidate, and Gopichand Thotakura, the first Indian space tourist. Dwight, who was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1961 but never flew to space, finally fulfilled his dream, becoming the oldest person to go to space. The flight lasted approximately 10 minutes, reaching an apogee of 107.0 km and providing a few minutes of weightlessness for the crew. The mission's success signifies a significant milestone for Blue Origin as it re-enters the competitive space tourism market.