A Blue Origin rocket will launch the company's first private spaceflight since 2022 this weekend. If you want to watch the broadcast live online, you need to know when to tune in. But don't worry, we've got your back.
Blue Origin is currently targeting Sunday (May 19) to launch six space tourists on its suborbital New Shepard rocket and RSS First Step capsule. The launch is planned 9:30 AM EDT (8:30 AM CDT/1330 GMT) from the company's spaceport in West Texas.
The upcoming NS-25 launch is Blue Origin's first crewed space mission since August 2022. Flights were halted after an unmanned New Shepard launch failed in September 2022. The company resumed flights with the unmanned NS-24 science flight in December. Here's when and where to watch Blue Origin's NS-25 flight.
What time will the Blue Origin NS-25 astronaut launch?
Blue Origin is currently focusing on 9:30 AM EDT (1330 GMT) on Sunday to launch its six-person NS-25 mission, which will take off from the company's Launch Site One in West Texas, near the city of Van Horn. During the launch, it is 8:30 am local time on the platform.
The exact time of Blue Origin's NS-25 mission could change on launch day, as the company says the launch window will open at 9:30 a.m. EDT. That means the company could target a slightly later date depending on weather or vehicle conditions. If a timing change occurs, Blue Origin will likely announce these updates via X (formerly Twitter).
Can I watch Blue Origin's NS-25 launch online?
Yes, you can watch Blue Origin's NS-25 launch online. The company will provide a live webcast on the NS-25 mission page and via the Blue Origin YouTube channel. The webcast will begin about 40 minutes before launch, Blue Origin said.
Since Blue Origin is currently focused on launching the NS-25 at 9:30 a.m. EDT, the live webcast would begin at approximately 8:50 AM EDT (1250 GMT/7:50 AM CDT). You can also watch the livestream at the top of this page, as well as on Space.com, where the launch will be simulcast.
Who will fly on Blue Origin's NS-25 mission?
Blue Origin's NS-25 mission will launch six people into space, with most purchasing their seats for an undisclosed price, although at least one person will fly thanks to sponsorship from nonprofits. Here's a quick look at who flies the NS-25.
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Mason Angel: Angel is the founder of the venture capital fund Industrious Ventures. He wants to use his flight on NS-25 to "inspire children and foster partnerships with nonprofits focused on STEM in early childhood education," in partnership with his family's foundation, according to Blue Origin. He has a dog named Leo, which is short for 'low Earth orbit'.
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Sylvain Chiron: Chiron, from Savoy, France, is the founder of Brasserie Mont Blanc, one of the largest craft breweries in France, and is a lifelong pilot, aviator and skier who earned his pilot's license when he was 16, according to Blue Origin. He has served as a ski instructor for the French Air Force and a NATO pilot, earned an MBA from Temple University, studied business administration in Japan and focuses on philanthropic work in support of conservation and children's education.
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Ed Dwight: Dwight, 90, is a former U.S. Air Force test pilot who was selected to attend the Aerospace Research Pilot School in 1961 and recommended by the USAF to become an astronaut in 1963, but was ultimately not selected. If so, he would have been the first black astronaut. Dwight left the Air Force in 1966 to become an accomplished entrepreneur and sculptor. His seat on NS-25 is sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity and the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation.
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Kenneth Hess: Hess is an entrepreneur and software engineer who developed the Family Tree Maker product line in the 1990s, which was eventually acquired by Ancestry.com in 2003. His nonprofit organization Science Buddies aims to increase STEM interest among students in grades K-12 through hands-on science and space exploration activities.
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Carol Schaller: Schaller, from Lumberville, Pennsylvania, is a retired accountant and adventure traveler with a lifelong dream of seeing space. In 2017, she was told by her doctor that she will likely go blind and has since traveled to 25 countries; she has gone on expeditions to Mount Everest Base Camp, the South Pole, and seen mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Forest in Uganda.
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Gopi Thotakura: Thotakura is a pilot and co-founder of Preserve Life Corp., described as a "global center for holistic wellness and applied health," near Atlanta. He flies jets commercially and has flown a wide variety of aircraft, including aerobatics and seaplanes, gliders, hot air balloons and more. He has also served as an international medical fighter pilot and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, according to a Blue Origin profile.
The six crew members of the NS-25 will fly into space in reclining seats aboard their New Shepard capsule. Shortly after takeoff, the capsule's booster will separate and return to Earth to make a vertical landing so it can be used again.
The crew capsule will launch into space and eventually parachute into the West Texas desert. During the journey, NS-25 passengers will experience several minutes of weightlessness and dazzling views of Earth from space through the large windows of the New Shepard capsule.
What if Blue Origin's NS-25 mission can't launch on time?
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While Blue Origin is targeting a 9:30 a.m. EDT launch on May 19 for the NS-25 mission, the company may choose to delay or delay the launch if weather or rocket conditions don't cooperate. This means that the launch can take place within a short time frame, usually a few hours, after the original target time.
If bad weather or a glitch prevents the May 19 launch of the New Shepard NS-25, Blue Origin may be able to try again Monday (May 20) at the same intended time, depending on the nature of the delay. However, Blue Origin has not publicly listed any backup dates for this NS-25 mission.
As the name suggests, the NS-25 mission marks the 25th New Shepard launch for Blue Origin. It is the company's seventh passenger-carrying launch since Blue Origin began astronaut flights in July 2021.
