Blue Origin NS-16
First human spaceflight for Blue Origin, carrying four civilians.
On 20 July 2021, Blue Origin operated its NS-16 mission, a sub-orbital flight and the sixteenth launch of its New Shepard system. It was the company’s first crewed flight. The passengers were Jeff Bezos (the billionaire founder of Blue Origin), his brother Mark Bezos, Wally Funk (a pilot and former member of the Mercury 13 program), and Oliver Daemen, a Dutch student. The launch took place from Blue Origin’s Corn Ranch site in West Texas, using the NS4 booster—which had already flown on the NS-14 and NS-15 missions earlier that year—and the RSS First Step capsule, making its first flight.
At 18, Daemen became the youngest person to reach space, and Funk, at 82, became the oldest—until William Shatner broke that record at age 90 on the NS-18 flight. The mission lasted about ten minutes and crossed the Kármán line. It was also the first fully automated flight with civilian passengers and the first internationally recognized sub-orbital flight carrying multiple people.
The four seats were originally set to include the anonymous winner of a US$28 million auction held by Blue Origin for its Club for the Future program. That winner later withdrew due to scheduling conflicts, and Oliver Daemen took the open seat; his father, Joes Daemen—CEO of Somerset Capital Partners—had come second in the auction and paid for the seat, giving it to Oliver.
Quick Facts
- Mission Type
- Sub-orbital human spaceflight
- Operator
- Blue Origin
- Mission Duration
- 10 minutes, 10 seconds
- Suborbital Apogee
- 107 km
- Spacecraft
- RSS First Step
- Crew Size
- 4
- Crew Members
- Jeff Bezos · Mark Bezos · Wally Funk · Oliver Daemen
- Launch Rocket
- New Shepard (NS4)
- Launch Site
- Corn Ranch, LS-1
- Landing Site
- Corn Ranch
- Insignia Caption
- Blue Origin NS-16 mission patch
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Blue Origin NS-16 was the first human spaceflight operated by Blue Origin, launching on 20 July 2021. The flight carried Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, Wally Funk, and Oliver Daemen. The mission used the New Shepard booster NS4, which had previously flown on NS-14 and NS-15 earlier in the year, and the spacecraft RSS First Step, making its maiden flight. The flight lasted approximately 10 minutes and crossed the Kármán line.
Reader's Guide
Blue Origin NS-16 marked a milestone as the first human spaceflight from Texas and the first fully automated flight with civilian passengers. It also became the first multi-person, internationally recognized sub-orbital spaceflight. The mission set records for youngest and oldest space travelers at the time: Oliver Daemen, aged 18, and Wally Funk, aged 82. Funk's record as oldest was later surpassed by William Shatner on NS-18. The flight demonstrated Blue Origin's capability to carry paying passengers to sub-orbital space, advancing commercial space tourism.
Did You Know?
- Oliver Daemen, aged 18, became the youngest person to travel to space on this flight.
- Wally Funk, aged 82, became the oldest person to travel to space until William Shatner's flight on NS-18.
- The fourth seat was originally won by an anonymous auction winner who later withdrew; Oliver Daemen took the seat after his father paid for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Blue Origin NS-16?
NS-16 is the sixteenth mission flown on Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital launch system. It marked the company's first crewed flight, carrying four passengers above the Kármán line.
Who flew on Blue Origin NS-16?
The four-seat capsule carried Jeff Bezos, the company's founder; his brother Mark Bezos; veteran pilot Wally Funk, a former Mercury 13 candidate; and Oliver Daemen, a Dutch student who won a seat in a public auction.
When and where did NS-16 launch?
The rocket lifted off on 20 July 2021 from Blue Origin's Corn Ranch launch site in West Texas. The entire flight, from liftoff to splashdown, lasted roughly ten minutes.
Why is NS-16 considered a milestone for Blue Origin?
It was the first time the New Shepard vehicle carried human passengers, transitioning the program from uncrewed test flights to operational crewed spaceflights. The mission validated the system's readiness for recurring civilian suborbital tourism.
What hardware was used on NS-16?
The flight employed the NS4 booster, which had already completed the NS-14 and NS-15 missions that same year, demonstrating the vehicle's reusability. The RSS First Step capsule, in contrast, made its very first flight during NS-16.
More in Suborbital human spaceflights 1-24
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