Blue Origin resumes crewed flights with diverse group of tourists

Blue Origin, a space company founded by Jeff Bezos, recently sent six tourists to the edge of space. Among them was Ed Dwight, the first Black man to train as an astronaut. The rocket launched from Texas and took the passengers on an 11-minute flight to experience weightlessness and see the Earth's horizon. The rocket had a slight issue during liftoff, but the escape system worked, and the flight was successful. Ed Dwight, who was selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to be the first Black astronaut candidate, finally got the chance to go to space. The other passengers included individuals from various backgrounds like an artist, software engineer, accountant, brewery founder, aviator, and venture capitalist. The rocket and capsule safely returned to Earth after the mission. Blue Origin had paused launches after a previous mission had an issue in 2022. They worked on corrective actions with the Federal Aviation Administration before resuming operations. This flight marked the 25th mission for the New Shepard rocket and the seventh with humans on board. Ed Dwight, at 90 years old, became the oldest person to go to space, fulfilling a dream he had decades ago. The program faced a setback in 2022 when a rocket had an engine issue, but safety measures ensured the capsule ejected safely. The rocket landed back on Earth, and the capsule parachuted down for a desert landing. Blue Origin made design changes to improve safety and reliability for future flights. Jeff Bezos emphasized the importance of safety in space tourism. Overall, the recent Blue Origin mission successfully took tourists to space after a hiatus, allowing individuals like Ed Dwight to fulfill their dreams of experiencing space travel.