Blue Origin confirms NS-25 human spaceflight for this month

Blue Origin has announced the NS-25 human spaceflight mission for this month. This space launch service provider aiming for May 19 as the first targeted date.

The company will resume crewed space flight with this mission nearly two years since August 2022. Blue Origin took a break from crewed missions after an anomaly occurred during a cargo-only mission following the NS-22 launch.

This mishap led to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation. Last year, Blue Origin said the mishap was due to extreme heat in the rocket’s BE-3PM engine. This eventually led to thermal damage and later a disassembly.

FAA took at least six months to conclude this investigation and identified new improvements to be made in the New Shephard rocket before it flies the next time. In December 2023, Blue Origin completed the NS-24 flight mission with 33 payloads from NASA, academia, research institutions, and commercial companies.

Mission Information

Blue Origin targeting a launch window at 8:30 AM CDT/1330 UTC from Launch Site One in West Texas on Sunday, May 19. The mission marks the seventh human flight for the New Shepard space program and the 25th overall mission. As of today, Blue Origin has sent 31 humans to orbit.

The NS-25 flight will host a six-person crew including Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schallar, Gopi Thotakura, and formerly Air Force Captain Ed Dwight.

The company has also released the NS-25 mission patch including:

“The Gemini spacecraft represents Ed Dwight’s aerospace training era. The hand lifting the crew capsule is a nod to his extensive artwork.

The sunrise represents Mason Angel and Carol Schaller’s desire to experience the overview effect.

The mountains symbolize Carol Schaller, Gopi Thotakura, and Sylvain Chiron’s passion for climbing and skiing.

The crew capsule’s leaf design reflects the groundbreaking family heritage software Kenneth L. Hess developed.”

Blue Origin NS-25 Crewed Mission (Image Source – Blue Origin)