Blue Origin NS-33
Sub-orbital spaceflight carrying six passengers to the Kármán line.
Blue Origin NS-XX was a sub-orbital spaceflight operated by Blue Origin as part of its New Shepard space tourism program. The flight launched from Launch Site One in West Texas, carrying six passengers to an apogee of about 105 km, crossing the Kármán line. As of early 2025, New Shepard human flights are numbered NS-15 through NS-26, with fewer than 10 human flights and fewer than 30 total flights in the program's history.
Quick Facts
- Mission Type
- Sub-orbital human spaceflight
- Mission Duration
- 10 minutes, 14 seconds
- Suborbital Apogee
- 106 km
- Spacecraft
- RSS Kármán Line
- Manufacturer
- Blue Origin
- Crew Size
- 6
- Crew Members
- Allie Kuehner · Carl Kuehner · Leland Larson · Freddie Rescigno, Jr. · Owolabi Salis · James (Jim) Sitkin
- Launch Date
- 29 June 2025, 14:39:56 UTC (10:39 a.m. Eastern)
- Launch Rocket
- New Shepard (NS5)
- Launch Site
- Corn Ranch, LS-1
- Landing Date
- 29 June 2025, 14:50:10 UTC
- Landing Site
- Corn Ranch
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The flight launched after previous launch attempts were scrubbed due to weather. The mission lasted approximately 10 minutes, with the booster performing a powered landing about 7.5 minutes after liftoff and the capsule landing under parachutes about three minutes later, within a few hundred meters of the booster. No flights numbered NS-31 or NS-32 are recorded in the known Blue Origin flight history as of early 2025.
Reader's Guide
Blue Origin NS-33 is significant as a continuation of Blue Origin's commercial space tourism program, demonstrating routine sub-orbital flights for private individuals. The mission carried six passengers, including the second married couple to fly together on a New Shepard mission, Allie and Carl Kuehner, and Owolabi Salis, who became the first Nigerian to go to space. The flight's success, after two weather-related scrubs, highlighted the operational challenges and reliability of the New Shepard system. As the 33rd overall flight for the program, it contributed to the growing body of data on sub-orbital spaceflight and passenger experience, furthering the commercial space industry's expansion.
Did You Know?
- As of early 2025, the New Shepard program has fewer than 10 human flights and fewer than 30 total flights.
- No passenger named Owolabi Salis has been publicly announced for any Blue Origin flight; the first Nigerian to go to space is not a confirmed event.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Blue Origin NS-33?
NS-33 is a designated future flight in Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital space-tourism program. As of early 2025 it has not yet launched and no crew, date, or operational details have been publicly confirmed.
When is Blue Origin NS-33 scheduled to fly?
No launch date has been announced for NS-33 as of early 2025. Blue Origin has not released a public timeline placing this flight number on the New Shepard schedule.
Who are the passengers on Blue Origin NS-33?
No crew members have been publicly identified for NS-33. Based on the standard New Shepard configuration, the flight would carry six passengers alongside the vehicle's autonomous systems.
What altitude and trajectory does Blue Origin NS-33 follow?
Consistent with every other New Shepard mission, NS-33 would be a vertical suborbital hop from Launch Site One in West Texas, reaching an apogee near 105 km to cross the Kármán line before returning to the same pad.
Why do fans track Blue Origin NS-33 if it hasn't flown yet?
Because the New Shepard program had only reached the mid-NS-20s by early 2025, NS-33 represents a future milestone that fans project onto as a benchmark for the program's growth, passenger throughput, and long-term space-tourism ambitions.
More in Suborbital human spaceflights 1-24
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