Blue Origin to send 6 tourists to space this day
What's the story
Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin is gearing up for its 37th New Shepard mission, scheduled to launch from the West Texas desert on Monday, December 18. The NS-37 mission will take six passengers on a suborbital flight across the Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. The launch window opens at 8:00pm IST and will be streamed live on Blue Origin's official website.
Crew diversity
Diverse crew members for NS-37 mission
The NS-37 flight features a diverse group of passengers: Michaela Benthaus, Joey Hyde, Hans Koenigsmann, Neal Milch, Adonis Pouroulis, and Jason Stansell. Benthaus is an ESA engineer and wheelchair user who continues to advocate for space accessibility despite her physical limitations due to a spinal cord injury. She has previously flown on a Zero-G research flight and an analog astronaut mission.
Space inspiration
Hyde's fascination with space sparked by grandparents
Hyde, an astrophysicist, credits his fascination with space to his grandparents who took him to the 1988 launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis. This interest led him to pursue a Ph.D. in Astrophysics and a personal mission to mentor future scientists. Koenigsmann is a rocket veteran who has been instrumental in making reusable launch vehicles a reality at SpaceX and continues to lend his expertise in the aerospace industry.
Science advocacy
Milch's passion for science and genetics
Milch, a business leader and genetics advocate, is driven by an enduring passion for science. He lives by the motto "In Omnia Paratus," which means "Ready for Anything." Pouroulis is a mining entrepreneur with over three decades of experience in natural resources and renewable energy projects across Africa. His South African roots are represented on the NS-37 patch with a baobab tree symbol.
Space journey
Stansell's journey from computer science to space
Stansell, a Texas-based computer scientist and self-proclaimed space nerd, has dabbled in everything from scuba diving to rocketry. He is passionate about science outreach and critical thinking. The NS-37 patch features symbols representing each crew member's background and aspirations. These include Benthaus's plush hippo, Hyde's spiral galaxy, and fragments symbolizing Blue Origin's mission to make space more accessible.