Blue Origin To Launch First Person With Disability To Space On Historic New Shepard Mission

Blue Origin is poised to make history with its upcoming New Shepard mission, NS-37, by launching a German aerospace engineer who uses a wheelchair to space. This remarkable individual will be joined by five others on a suborbital journey aboard the gum drop-shaped capsule, developed by billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin for short trips above Earth’s atmosphere. The spacecraft, New Shepard, has been a vessel for numerous celebrities, including pop star Katy Perry and CBS News’ Gayle King, who were part of an all-woman crew in April. The latest mission, scheduled to launch on Thursday, December 18, at 8:30 a. m. CT, marks the 16th human spaceflight and 37th overall for New Shepard. Launch Site One, Blue Origin’s private ranch facility in Texas, located over 140 miles east of El Paso near the U. S.-Mexico border, will be the site of the launch.

According to the El Paso Times, the launch window is expected to open at 8:30 a. m. CT, with the company working diligently to ensure a successful mission. The crew of six will experience a few minutes of breathtaking cosmic views and the sensation of weightlessness once they reach the edge of space.