Blue Origin executed a successful suborbital spaceflight on May 31, sending six individuals to space aboard its New Shepard vehicle. CEO Dave Limp emphasized the mission's dual purpose: a profitable enterprise and a valuable technology testing platform.
Launching from Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:39 a.m. Eastern, the New Shepard capsule reached an apogee of 105 kilometers before landing 10 minutes later. This NS-32 mission marked the 12th crewed flight for New Shepard, carrying a total of 64 individuals into space, including four repeat passengers. The flight notably included the first person from New Zealand and the first from Panama to reach space.
This was the fourth New Shepard flight in 2024, with three carrying passengers and one focusing on a payload simulating lunar gravity. While Blue Origin hasn't revealed its flight schedule for the remainder of the year, Limp, speaking at the Humans to the Moon and Mars Summit, confirmed the company's ongoing commitment to New Shepard. He highlighted its business viability and technological importance. "First of all, it’s a good business," he stated. "There is an insatiable demand out there for human beings who grew up thinking about space and want to get to space, but it’s still very hard to do right now."
Limp further emphasized that even if the missions weren't financially lucrative, "we would still fly New Shepard because it’s such a good testbed." He cited examples such as testing avionics for New Glenn and the lidar system of the Blue Moon Mark 1 lunar lander, slated for its maiden voyage later this year.