Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has announced two of four crew members for its next manned launch set for October 12.
New Shepard’s 18th mission, NS-18, will be carrying former NASA engineer and Planet Labs Co-Founder Dr. Chris Boshuizen and Vice Chair of Life Sciences & Healthcare, Glen de Vries, alongside two unannounced crew members.
The crew will launch from Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:30 a.m. ET; coverage will begin an hour prior to lift-off on Blue Origin’s website.
The company said in a release Monday that the other two crew members will be announced this week.
TMZ has reported that legendary “Star Trek” actor William Shatner might be among them. If true, the 90-year-old actor would be the oldest person to visit space.
Who’s Chris Boshuizen?
Boshuizen served as Planet Labs’ CTO for five years, overseeing the first commercialized nanosatellites. The company has launched more than 450 satellites that provide daily global mappings of the changing planet.
“This is a fulfillment of my greatest childhood dream,” Boshuizen said in a statement Monday. “More importantly, though, I see this flight as an opportunity to inspire students to pursue careers in STEM and catalyze the next generation of space explorers.
“After all, our future of life in space is in their very capable hands.”
Who’s Glen de Vries?
Co-founder of Medidata Solutions, de Vries is a pioneer in the medical systems industry. His company, Medidata, was acquired by Life Sciences and Healthcare at Dassault Systèmes where he now serves as vice chair.
“I’ve spent my entire career working to extend people’s lives. However, with limited materials and energy on Earth, extending our reach into space can help humanity continue to thrive,” he said in a statement Monday.
“Furthermore, astronauts can experience the ‘overview effect,’ gaining a new perspective on how fragile and precious our planet, those resources, and our civilization are. Playing a part in advancing the space industry and one day making those resources and that understanding available to everyone, is an incredible opportunity. I’ve been passionate about aviation and space for as long as I can remember, so this flight is truly a dream come true.”
This launch follows Blue Origin’s previous success in July, in which Jeff and Mark Bezos joined the crew for their first human flight. The mission also included famed pilot Wally Funk.
