Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin launches 100th woman in history to space

Blue Origin successfully launched its NS-28 mission on November 22, sending six tourists into suborbital space aboard the New Shepard rocket.
The flight took off from the company’s West Texas launch pad at approximately 9:00 pm IST, marking Blue Origin’s ninth crewed mission and the 28th overall for the New Shepard program.

Among the passengers was Emily Calandrelli, known as “The Space Gal,” an MIT-educated engineer and popular science communicator. She is recognised for her work on Netflix’s “Emily’s Wonder Lab” and aims to inspire young girls to pursue careers in STEM fields.
Calandrelli expressed her excitement about being one of the first 100 women in space and hopes to use her experience to motivate others to reach for the stars. After landing, she said that this experience would forever change her life.
Joining Calandrelli were five other crew members: Marc and Sharon Hagle, who are returning for their second flight after previously flying together in March 2022; Austin Litteral, who won his seat through a corporate giveaway; and entrepreneurs James (J.D.) Russell and Henry (Hank) Wolfond. The Hagles are notable for their philanthropic efforts in education, particularly through Sharon’s nonprofit, SpaceKids Global, which promotes STEAM education among young students.

The crew of NS-28. (Photo: Blue Origin)

The NS-28 flight lasted just over ten minutes, allowing passengers to experience several minutes of weightlessness while enjoying breathtaking views of Earth from space.
This mission continues Blue Origin’s commitment to making space travel accessible to private citizens, furthering its role in the emerging space tourism industry.
The Jeff Bezos-led company has been launching paying customers to space on brif joyrides to space. The company is also developing a new reusable launch vehicle New Glenn, which is set to conduct its maiden test launch by the end of this year.