On December 10 at 15:00 UTC, a Blue Origin New Shepard launched the NS-19 mission from their spaceport in West Texas. This was the third crewed launch of the New Shepard in 2021.

Onboard were six spaceflight participants, the first time a New Shepard carried its full complement of passengers. Onboard were Blue Origin guests Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of the first American astronaut, Alan Shepard, TV host Michael Strahan, as well as passengers investment banker Lane Bess and his Twitch streamer son Cameron Bess, space investor Dylan Taylor, and finally Evan Dick, also an investor but not of the space variety.

In addition to the human passengers, this flight also had a NASA payload mounted to the propulsion module on the exterior of the New Shepard. As on two previous flights, the payload tested lunar landing sensors for future Artemis program missions.

This launch was one of the last chances to earn the Federal Aviation Agency’s Commercial Space Astronaut Wings. This crew, as well as fifteen other qualified spaceflight participants, will be among the last to be awarded their wings. Effective January 1, 2022, the FAA is discontinuing the program. Instead of being awarded wings, future eligible commercial spaceflight participants will have their names listed on the FAA website.

The program was started in 2004 with the intention of promoting the industry — which was in its nascent stages at the time — by recognizing the pilots and flight crew members of commercial space vehicles. The FAA stated that with “three commercial space companies now licensed … to fly spaceflight participants” the goal has been achieved, and the program is no longer needed.

More Information

Blue Origin press release

FAA press release