Blue Origin NS-21
Fifth crewed Blue Origin flight; first repeat New Shepard passenger; carried six passengers.
Blue Origin's NS-21 mission launched on June 4, 2022, aboard the New Shepard rocket. It was the company's fifth flight carrying passengers and its twenty-first overall to reach space. The trip had originally been set for May 20, 2022, but was postponed because a backup system did not meet performance expectations; the new launch date was announced on May 31. Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke attended the launch as a guest of Blue Origin.
The passengers, known as the "Crew of Natural Selection," included Evan Dick, who had flown on Blue Origin NS-19, making him the first person to ride New Shepard twice. Katya Echazarreta became the first Mexican-born woman to fly to space. Victor Vescovo, a deep-sea explorer, completed the Explorers' Extreme Trifecta—reaching the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the summit of Mount Everest, and space—though he was not the first to do so. Echazarreta's seat was sponsored by Space For Humanity and paid for by Blue Origin and NS-19 passengers Lane and Cameron Bess. She is a post-graduate student at Johns Hopkins University who worked on the Mars 2020 and Europa Clipper missions. Victor Correa Hespanha became the second Brazilian in space after buying an NFT for R$4,000 (US$742.12) from the Crypto Space Agency, which entered him into a raffle for the trip; he has been called the "world's first cryptonaut."
Quick Facts
- Mission Type
- Sub-orbital human spaceflight
- Suborbital Apogee
- 107 km
- Spacecraft
- RSS First Step
- Manufacturer
- Blue Origin
- Crew Size
- 6
- Crew Members
- Evan Dick · Katya Echazarreta · Hamish Harding · Victor Correa Hespanha · Jaison Robinson · Victor Vescovo
- Launch Rocket
- New Shepard (NS4)
- Launch Site
- Corn Ranch, LS-1
- Landing Site
- Corn Ranch
- Programme
- New Shepard crewed flights
- Previous Mission
- Blue Origin NS-20
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The passengers of NS-21 were nicknamed the 'Crew of Natural Selection'. They included Evan Dick, who previously flew on Blue Origin NS-19, making him the first person to fly on New Shepard twice. Also on board were Katya Echazarreta, who became the first Mexican-born woman to fly to space, and Victor Vescovo, a notable undersea explorer. The flight saw Vescovo complete the Explorers' Extreme Trifecta, which requires traveling to the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the summit of Mount Everest, and flying to space, though he was not the first to achieve this feat.
Reader's Guide
Blue Origin NS-21 marked several milestones in commercial spaceflight. Katya Echazarreta's flight, sponsored by the Space For Humanity initiative and paid for by Blue Origin and previous passengers Lane and Cameron Bess, highlighted efforts to broaden access to space. Victor Vescovo's achievement of the Explorers' Extreme Trifecta underscored the convergence of extreme exploration. Victor Correa Hespanha, the second Brazilian in space, was selected after buying an NFT for R$4,000 (US$742.12) from the Crypto Space Agency, earning him the title 'world's first cryptonaut.' Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke attended the launch as a guest of Blue Origin. The mission demonstrated the growing diversity of space travelers and the role of novel funding mechanisms.
Did You Know?
- Evan Dick became the first person to fly on New Shepard twice, having previously flown on Blue Origin NS-19.
- Victor Vescovo completed the Explorers' Extreme Trifecta (Challenger Deep, Mount Everest, space) on this flight, but was not the first person to do so.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who flew on Blue Origin NS-21?
The six-passenger group, nicknamed the 'Crew of Natural Selection,' included repeat flyer Evan Dick and Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman to reach space. Apollo 16 veteran Charles Duke also attended the launch as a Blue Origin guest.
When did Blue Origin NS-21 launch?
The New Shepard vehicle lifted off on June 4, 2022, after being pushed back from its original May 20 target date. The revised schedule was confirmed publicly on May 31, 2022.
Why was Blue Origin NS-21 postponed?
The mission was pulled from its initial May 20 slot because a backup safety system did not meet the performance thresholds the company required before flight. Blue Origin reset the launch for June 4 and announced the new date on May 31.
Who was the first person to fly New Shepard twice?
Evan Dick, a passenger on NS-21, had previously ridden on the NS-19 mission, making him the first individual to complete two suborbital flights aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle.
What made Blue Origin NS-21 a milestone for spaceflight?
Beyond being Blue Origin's fifth crewed New Shepard flight and twenty-first spaceflight overall, it carried Katya Echazarreta as the first Mexican-born woman in space and featured Evan Dick as the program's first repeat passenger.
More in Suborbital human spaceflights 1-24
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