Blue Origin takes 6 passengers to space: Meet the crew
23 Jan 2026

Jeff Bezos's aerospace company, Blue Origin, has successfully completed its first spaceflight of 2026.

The mission, dubbed New Shepard NS-38, took off from the West Texas site with six crew members on board.

The flight was delayed by 25 minutes and launched at around 9:55pm (IST).

This was the 38th overall spaceflight for the New Shepard program and marked the 17th time humans were taken to the edge of space by this reusable rocket-capsule combination.

NS-38's journey and landing
Flight details

The New Shepard NS-38 mission took the crew beyond the Karman Line, a 100km-high boundary widely recognized as the edge of space.

After a few minutes of weightlessness and stunning views of Earth, they returned to their home planet.

The vehicle's rocket landed on its designated pad at 7 minutes and 20 seconds after launch.

About three minutes later, the capsule followed suit, raising a cloud of dust in West Texas desert with a soft parachute-assisted landing.

Who were on board the NS-38 mission?
Crew profiles

The NS-38 mission carried an eclectic mix of individuals.

They included entrepreneur and pilot Tim Drexler, retired obstetrician/gynaecologist Linda Edwards, real estate developer Alain Fernandez, entrepreneur Alberto Gutierrez, retired Air Force Colonel Jim Hendren and Blue Origin's director of New Shepard launch operations Laura Stiles.

Each crew member brought their unique experiences to this historic journey beyond Earth's atmosphere.

Blue Origin's spaceflight ticket prices
Pricing details

While Blue Origin doesn't disclose prices on its website, a seat reservation form requires customers to agree to a $150,000 deposit.

The full cost of a seat is expected to be in the range of $200,000 to $300,000.

During Blue Origin's maiden flight in June 2021, an auctioned seat went for an eye-popping $28 million.

Industry experts now estimate that tickets for future flights will likely fall between $200,000 and $300,000.