In September of 2021, Blue Origin turned science fiction into fact, launching William Shatner, Captain James T. Kirk of “Star Trek” fame, into suborbital space. The next launch has an all-female crew:
In a move that follows the lead of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Artemis program, the billionaire Jeff Bezos-headed firm is planning to launch a rocket with an all-female crew.The mission will be led by Bezos’ girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez.The news comes courtesy of Lauren Sanchez, the girlfriend of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. Sanchez spoke to WSJ. Magazine for a story that was published on Wednesday (Jan. 25) (opens in new tab), revealing that she plans to lead the six-person mission aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle.We don’t know the identities of the other five passengers, but Sanchez told WSJ. Magazine that they will be “women who are making a difference in the world and who are impactful and have a message to send.The launch date is unknown at this point, but Sanchez, a media personality and trained helicopter pilot, said she hopes to fly by early next year.
Sanchez has flight experience, as she is licensed to pilot helicopters.
She’s the founder of Black Ops Aviation, a female-owned aerial film and production company.According to the WSJ, Bezos credits Sanchez for helping him get comfortable in the air again following a helicopter crash in 2003.Bezos is also in the process of getting his own pilot’s license.Although Sanchez has no experience as an astronaut, this should not be an issue, as the aim of Blue Origin is to send normal civilians into space.
While Sanchez probably will get a free ticket, the other spots will likely go to those women (or perhaps those who identify as such) willing to pay. Bezos’ goal is to commercialize space and make it accessible to everyone.
Crew members will be fully trained for the flight into space in just two days, according to the company. At the moment, Blue Origin has two launch vehicles, including New Shepard, named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard. The autonomous, reusable vehicle consists of a crew capsule and a rocket booster, powered by a mixture of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.It is unknown what a ticket on this luxury transport will cost, although one bidder paid up to $28 million for a seat on the first flight, which took place in 2021. Blue Origin is also working on a lunar lander, called Blue Moon, which it intends to launch in 2024. “Blue Moon is a flexible lander that delivers a wide variety of small, medium and large payloads to the lunar surface,” the company says on its website.
We wish Sanchez and the rest of the crew a smooth ride and a safe landing.
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