90-Year-Old Breaks Record As Oldest Astronaut With Blue Origin's Launch

In a significant milestone for space tourism, Blue Origin, the space venture of Jeff Bezos, has successfully launched its first crew to suborbital space since 2022. The crew included the oldest person and the first U.S. Black astronaut candidate from the 1960s.

What Happened: As per Reuters, the six-person crew was launched from West Texas on Sunday, marking the revival of Blue Origin's space tourism operations. Among the crew members was Ed Dwight, who at 90 years and eight months, set the record for the oldest person to travel to space.

The launch took place from Blue Origin's facilities near Van Horn, Texas. The rocket separated from the capsule, which then ascended to 65.7 miles (105.7 km) beyond Earth's atmosphere. The booster returned to land as planned, and the capsule descended back to Earth under parachutes after a mission lasting roughly 10 minutes.

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Ed Dwight was the first Black astronaut candidate selected by former U.S. President John Kennedy in 1961. Despite this, he had never flown to space until now. "I am ecstatic," Dwight said upon landing.

Why It Matters: Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket had been grounded since a mid-flight failure in September 2022. The company implemented 21 corrective actions, including an engine redesign and organizational changes, before resuming flights. These changes were overseen by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Under the leadership of new CEO, Dave Limp, who was appointed last year, Blue Origin has prioritized resuming New Shepard's routine missions. The company also plans to debut its larger rocket, New Glenn, by the end of this year, further expanding its space tourism operations.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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