Blue Origin Celebrates Milestone 33rd New Shepard Mission Amidst Jeff Bezos’ Wedding Festivities
Blue Origin successfully completed its 33rd New Shepard mission today, carrying six passengers to the edge of space while the company’s founder Jeff Bezos concluded his wedding celebrations in Venice.
The suborbital flight launched from Blue Origin’s West Texas facility at 9:39 a.m. CT, following a weather-related delay from its originally scheduled June 21 date. The mission marked Blue Origin’s 13th crewed flight, adding to its impressive tally of 70 space tourists
transported since 2021.
The spacecraft reached an altitude of 105 kilometers, surpassing the internationally recognized Kármán line that defines the boundary of space at 100 kilometers above Earth. During the 10-minute journey, passengers experienced weightlessness and witnessed the curvature of Earth against the backdrop of space before returning safely to the ground via parachute-assisted landing.
Among the passengers were environmental advocate Allie Kuehner and her husband Carl Kuehner, chairman of Building and Land Technology, making them the second married couple to fly together on New Shepard. The crew also included Leland Larson, former CEO of School Bus Services and co-founder of the Larson Legacy philanthropic organization; Freddie Rescigno Jr., CEO of Commodity Cables; attorney and financial consultant Owolabi Salis; and Jim Sitkin, a retired California lawyer focused on employment class actions.
The mission also carried educational cargo, with over 1,000 postcards from various institutions, including Seattle’s Museum of Flight and Parkcrest Elementary School in Burnaby, B.C., as part of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future foundation initiative.
In other developments, Blue Origin has recently expanded its space industry presence through a partnership with the European Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space, focusing on low Earth orbit exploration opportunities. The company has also announced plans to establish its European headquarters in Luxembourg, citing the country’s strong space sector investment and strategic location.
Looking ahead, Blue Origin is preparing for its second New Glenn orbital rocket launch, scheduled for August 15. CEO Dave Limp has revealed the booster’s nickname as “Never Tell Me the Odds” and emphasized the mission’s goal of successfully landing and recovering the booster – a feat that wasn’t achieved during January’s inaugural launch, despite successfully delivering its payload to orbit.
The successful suborbital mission coincided with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos departing Venice for their honeymoon following their high-profile wedding celebration. Both have previously experienced Blue Origin flights separately, joining the company’s growing list of notable passengers that includes celebrities like William Shatner and Katy Perry.
The reusable New Shepard booster performed as expected, making an autonomous landing at the designated pad while the crew capsule completed its journey. This mission continues Blue Origin’s track record of advancing commercial space travel while maintaining its commitment to both space tourism and educational initiatives through its nonprofit foundation.
The flight represents another milestone in the increasingly active commercial space sector, where Blue Origin continues to establish itself as a key player in both suborbital tourism and orbital launch capabilities. With its expanding international presence and ongoing technical achievements, the company demonstrates its commitment to making space more accessible while developing more advanced space transportation systems.
