Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital spacecraft successfully launched six people into space on November 22nd. The mission, designated NS-28, lifted off from Launch Site One in West Texas at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.
The crew included repeat customers Marc and Sharon Hagle, who previously flew on NS-20. Also onboard was Emily Calandrelli, a science communicator who claimed to be the 100th woman in space, a count that includes those who exceeded the 50-mile altitude mark but not the 100-kilometer Kármán Line.
Other passengers included Austin Litteral, James (J.D.) Russell, and Henry (Hank) Wolfond. The New Shepard capsule, R.S.S. First Step, reached a peak altitude of 107 kilometers. This marked the ninth crewed flight for New Shepard and the third this year, following an uncrewed mission in October. This flight also utilized a new crew capsule and booster, showcasing Blue Origin's commitment to expanding its flight capacity.