Blue Origin launches NS-19

Blue Origin launched a crew of six people on board a New Shepard rocket on Saturday, December 11 from the West Texas facility. The two previous human missions NS-16 and NS-18 only launched with four people and this was the first time New Shepard launched six people to suborbital space. The liftoff occurred at 9:01 am CST at the launch site or 15:01 UTC.

This flight was the third crewed spaceflight for Blue Origin and was performed by capsule RSS First Step which is the same capsule as on the first two flights.

NS-19 crew:

• Laura Shepard Churchley: daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American to reach space and the namesake of the New Shepard rocket

• Michael Strahan: former American football player and host of Good Morning America

• Dylan Taylor: CEO and Chairman of Voyager Space Holdings

• Evan Dick: engineer, investor and managing Member of Dick Holdings, LLC

• Lane Bess: Lane is the owner of the technology fund Bess Ventures and Advisory

• Cameron Bess: content creator who studied Computer Science and Game Design

Liftoff of #NewShepard’s 19th mission to space and the third with humans on board. #NS19

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) December 11, 2021

The view from #NewShepard at apogee is something our #NS19 astronauts will never forget. Today’s flight featured a full capsule of six astronauts, each with their own window seat. pic.twitter.com/MOUT4YgnLC

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) December 11, 2021