New Delhi: After several delays, Blue Origin successfully conducted its New Shepard (NS-20) mission, launching six passengers to the edge of space on Thursday. This was the Jeff Bezos-led space venture's fourth human flight.
The New Shepard rocket lifted off after 8.30 am CDT (7.00 pm) from Launch Site One in West Texas.
The flight, the first in 2022 of Blue Origin, carried Gary Lai, New Shepard Chief Architect, Marty Allen, CEO of retail company Party America and angel investor, Jim Kitchen, a teacher, entrepreneur, and world explorer, Dr George Nield, president of Commercial Space Technologies; and husband and wife duo Sharon and Marc Hagle.
Sharon is the founder of non-profit SpaceKids Global, while Marc is President and CEO of Tricor International, a residential and commercial property development corporation, IANS reported.
Gary Lai was sent after American comedian Pete Davidson pulled out of the mission.
The mission, first slated for launch on March 23 and then on March 29, faced several delays due to "high winds" and unfavourable weather.
On Thursday too, there was a threat of solar eruptions hitting Earth. Last month, rival Elon Musk's SpaceX lost about 40 satellites due to such a storm.
The 11-minute flight carried the crew members above the Karman line -- an internationally recognised boundary of space that lies 100 km above the Earth's surface.
Blue Origin's third flight to suborbital space took place in December 2021. It was the first to carry six astronauts to space. The last two missions carried only four passengers.
(With IANS inputs)