Blue Origin, the space company that sends paying passengers to space for a brief period of time, is preparing to launch its third trip to space, next month. This time as well, it will launch famous people free and rich people as paying tourists. Earlier, it had tried to combine the two by offering Tom Hanks a rich and famous actor a paid seat on the second trip but he was not interested in the approximately $28 million price tag for a space trip that would last 12 minutes or more.
The third trip by Blue Origin to space will include six humans, four of whom will pay for the trip and two of whom, who have fame if not fortune attached to their names and will make the trip free. These passengers will fly on the New Shepard reusable rocket and capsule on December 9.
The six passengers are
Michael Strahan–co-host of Good Morning America
Laura Shepard Churchley–daughter of Alan Shepard, the rocket is named after him
Dylan Taylor–Voyager Space CEO
Evan Dick–Dick Holdings managing member
Father and child pair–Lane Bess of Bess Ventures and Advisory and Cameron Bess–content creator
Although the founder of Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos could not be the first billionaire and private citizen to reach space as Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic with the billionaire on board reached space before Blue Origin’s Shepard rocket, the company has been adding other firsts to its space flights. It has sent the oldest and youngest person to space. It sent William Shatner of Star Trek fame to space and it will send the first father-son duo in its third trip to space.
Passengers fly to the edge of space in Blue Origin’s New Shepard. They remain in sub-orbital space for a few minutes. They experience weightlessness and see beautiful views of planet earth from space. Then the capsule returns to earth and lands in the West Texas desert.
Space travel evokes mixed reactions of awe or humor depending on whether you are in sync with William Shatner, who described his free trip as “unbelievable” or with Tom Hanks who entertained millions as he simulated a space trip on Jimmy Kimmel’s sofa, saying that anyone could simulate a space flight at home.
