Blue Origin NS-32

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Blue Origin NS-32
Mission type Sub-orbital human spaceflight
Mission duration10 minutes, 7 seconds [1]
Apogee104 km (65 mi)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft RSS First Step
Manufacturer Blue Origin
Crew
Crew size6
Members
Start of mission
Launch dateMay 31, 2025 (2025-05-31), 13:39:11 UTC (8:39 am CDT)
Rocket New Shepard (NS4)
Launch site Corn Ranch, LS-1
ContractorBlue Origin
End of mission
Landing dateMay 31, 2025 (2025-05-31), 13:49:18 UTC (8:49 am CDT)
Landing site Corn Ranch

Blue Origin NS-32 was a sub-orbital spaceflight operated by Blue Origin as part of its New Shepard space tourism program. The flight took place on May 31, 2025, launching from Launch Site One in West Texas at 8:39 am CDT (13:39:11 UTC). [1] [2] The mission lasted 10 minutes and 7 seconds, carrying six passengers to an apogee of about 104 km (65 mi), crossing the Kármán line, the FAI-recognized boundary of space. [1]

Contents

The crew included K-12 STEM teacher Aymette Medina Jorge, radiologist Dr. Gretchen Green, former Panamanian ambassador Jaime Alemán, businessman Jesse Williams, aerospace executive Mark Rocket, and entrepreneur Paul Jeris. [1] [3] This mission marked the 12th human flight and the 32nd overall flight for the New Shepard program. [1]

Crew

Position Passenger
Tourist Flag of the United States.svg Paul Jeris
First spaceflight
Tourist Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jesse Williams
First spaceflight
Tourist Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Aymette (Amy) Medina Jorge
First spaceflight
Tourist Flag of the United States.svg Dr. Gretchen Green
First spaceflight
Tourist Flag of Panama.svg Jaime Alemán
First spaceflight
Tourist Flag of New Zealand.svg Mark Rocket
First spaceflight

Mission

The NS-32 mission was part of Blue Origin's New Shepard space tourism program, which uses a remotely piloted rocket to propel a crew capsule into sub-orbital space. The flight launched from Launch Site One southeast of El Paso, Texas, on May 31, 2025, with the launch window opening at 8:30 am CDT (13:30:00 UTC). [1] [3] The live webcast on BlueOrigin.com begun at 8:00 am CDT (T−30 minutes). [1] [4] The capsule was expected to reach an apogee of approximately 107 km (66 mi), allowing passengers to experience a few minutes of weightlessness before descending back to Earth in the Chihuahuan Desert. [1]

The mission patch incorporated symbols representing the crew's backgrounds: a microchip, gears, and Pi symbol for Aymette Medina Jorge's STEM advocacy; a caduceus for Dr. Gretchen Green's radiology career; planets for Paul Jeris' passion for space exploration; a kea parrot for Mark Rocket's New Zealand heritage; and bike gears and Mt. Rainier for Jesse Williams' outdoor pursuits. [1] Jaime Alemán, the first Central American to visit all 193 UN member states, aims to complete the "Grand Chelem" of travel (all UN countries, both poles, and space) with this flight. [5]

Aymette Medina Jorge, a STEM teacher from Galveston, Texas, lead space experiments and Zero-Gravity projects, with her flight sponsored by Mexican company Farmacias Similares to promote Hispanic STEM representation. [3] Dr. Gretchen Green was a radiologist specializing in women's imaging, turned explorer. [1] Paul Jeris, from Put-in-Bay, Ohio, was an entrepreneur whose flight was celebrated with a public watch party at Mr. Ed's. [6]

Reception

The NS-32 mission garnered attention for its diverse crew, including the first New Zealander, Mark Rocket, and the first Panamanian, Jaime Alemán, to fly with Blue Origin. [7] The mission followed the controversial NS-31 flight, which faced criticism for its framing as a feminist milestone and its timing amid economic concerns. [8] The inclusion of STEM educator Aymette Medina Jorge was highlighted as a positive step for inspiring underrepresented communities in science. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "New Shepard NS-32 Mission". Blue Origin. May 20, 2025. Archived from the original on May 27, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  2. @blueorigin (May 27, 2025). "New Shepard is preparing to launch from the vast desert plains of West Texas! Our crewed NS-32 mission is targeting liftoff from Launch Site One on Saturday, May 31, 2025, with the launch window opening at 8:30 AM CDT / 13:30 UTC. Learn more about the symbolism behind the NS-32" (Tweet). Retrieved May 28, 2025 via Twitter.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Blue Origin To Launch Diverse Group Of Scientists & Adventurers On NS-32 Mission". Mashable India. May 22, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  4. Bossard, Joris [@bossard_joris] (May 27, 2025). "Voici le patch de la mission NS-32 qui a été dévoilé tout à l'heure par @blueorigin. Le décollage aura lieu samedi 31 mai à 15h30 (heure de Paris) depuis le Launch Site One au Texas" [Here's the NS-32 mission patch that was just revealed by @blueorigin. Launch will take place on Saturday, May 31st at 3:30 PM (Paris time) from Launch Site One in Texas.] (Tweet) (in French). Retrieved May 28, 2025 via Twitter.
  5. Zub, Orest (April 21, 2020). "Jaime Alemán: The First Central American to Conquer Every UN Country". NomadMania. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  6. @pibdaily (May 27, 2025). "Put-in-Bay's Paul Jeris is confirmed to fly aboard Blue Origin's NS-32 mission this Saturday, May 31" (Tweet). Retrieved May 28, 2025 via Twitter.
  7. "First Kiwi in space: Christchurch man to be on Blue Origin flight". 1News . May 22, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  8. Delap, Leanne (April 14, 2025). "Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez jet off on a controversial trip to space". Toronto Star . Retrieved May 28, 2025.