Blue Origin’s New Shepard Has Launched More Than 50 People to Space

NS-30 mission sends crew of six—including four pilots, according to Blue Origin—to the edge of space and back.

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 03:51 PM ET

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Blue Origin’s New Shepard booster touches down in the Texas desert after launching a crew of six to suborbital space. [Courtesy: Blue Origin]

Key Takeaways:

Blue Origin's New Shepard completed its 30th flight (NS-30), which was its 10th crewed mission, carrying six passengers.
This milestone flight pushed the total number of people flown to the edge of space by New Shepard to 52 across its 10 crewed missions.
The NS-30 mission marked the fourth crewed flight since New Shepard resumed operations in December 2023, following a two-year grounding by the FAA.
The suborbital flights provide passengers with a brief experience of space, reaching beyond the Kármán line and offering moments of weightlessness.

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Blue Origin and its New Shepard rocket set a new milestone on Tuesday as the space tourism firm’s commercial operations continue to ramp up.

With the launch of the NS-30 mission—New Shepard’s 30th flight overall and 10th with crew—the company’s workhorse rocket has now flown more than 50 people to the edge of space. The flight, which lifted off Tuesday morning from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in Texas and lasted just over 10 minutes, was New Shepard’s fourth with crew since returning to action in December 2023 after more than two years being grounded by the FAA.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.