Blue Origin Sets Sights on May 31 for Next Space Tourism Flight: Who’s on Board?
Jeff Bezos' space venture, Blue Origin, is gearing up for its 12th human spaceflight mission, targeting May 31st for launch. This NS-25 mission marks another milestone in the burgeoning space tourism industry, following Blue Origin's previous flights that included celebrities like William Shatner and Katy Perry. What makes this launch particularly interesting, and who are the lucky individuals about to experience the thrill of suborbital space?
The NS-32 mission, the 32nd overall for the reusable New Shepard vehicle, will lift off from Blue Origin's West Texas site. The launch window opens at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT; 8:30 a.m. local Texas time), with a live stream commencing 30 minutes beforehand. The flight promises a 10 to 12-minute journey to suborbital space and back.
This time, six individuals will embark on this extraordinary adventure. The crew includes:
- Jaime Alemán: A Panamanian businessman, attorney, and former ambassador to the United States, aiming to be the first person to visit all 193 U.N.-recognized countries, both poles, and space.
- Dr. Gretchen Green: A radiologist, explorer, and space enthusiast who attended Space Camp in 1986 and continues to contribute to the space community.
- Paul Jeris: An entrepreneur and real estate developer inspired by his NASA engineer father, driven by a lifelong passion for space exploration.
- Aymette Medina Jorge: A middle and high school STEM teacher from Texas, dedicated to boosting Hispanic representation in STEM fields.
- Mark Rocket: An entrepreneur from New Zealand and CEO of Kea Aerospace, involved in the aerospace industry.
- Jesse Williams: A Canadian entrepreneur, adventurer, and mountaineer who has summited six of the seven highest peaks on Earth.
Blue Origin's foray into space tourism began on July 20, 2021, with Jeff Bezos himself taking the inaugural flight. The inclusion of celebrities in subsequent missions has undoubtedly elevated the company's profile, as well as the public interest. In April 2025, the company flew global pop superstar Katy Perry and others, and continues to offer a way for people other than pilots and astronauts have a chance to travel to space.
The New Shepard program has already flown 58 humans and over 175 scientific payloads above the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. This mission underscores the growing accessibility of space travel and the diverse range of individuals now participating in it.
Will this upcoming launch further solidify Blue Origin's position in the space tourism market? What are your thoughts on the increasing commercialization of space? Share your opinions in the comments below!
