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Blue Origin's NS-26 Launches with NASA-Funded Researcher, Youngest Woman in Space

Aug 29, 2024, 12:53 PM

Blue Origin successfully launched its eighth human spaceflight mission, NS-26, on August 29, 2024, from Launch Site One in West Texas. The mission carried six passengers on an 11-minute suborbital journey above the Kármán line, reaching an apogee of 104 km. Among the crew was University of Florida professor Rob Ferl, who became the first NASA-funded researcher to conduct an experiment in space. Ferl, known for his work on growing plants in lunar soil, is set to study plant growth in space. The mission also marked a significant milestone for Karsen Kitchen, who became the youngest woman to cross the Kármán line. The launch proceeded smoothly, with the New Shepard rocket clearing the tower at 13:08 UTC, and the flight lasted 10 minutes and 1 second.