Blue Origin successfully completed a suborbital mission on May 31, sending six passengers to space aboard its New Shepard spacecraft in what CEO Dave Limp describes as both a profitable venture and a crucial platform for technological development.
Blue Origin's New Shepard lifts off on the NS-32 suborbital mission. Credit: Blue Origin
The NS-32 mission lifted off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:39 a.m. Eastern. The capsule soared to an altitude of 105 kilometers before descending safely back to Earth just 10 minutes later, shortly after the booster’s own return.
This flight marked the 12th crewed mission of New Shepard, bringing the total number of people the vehicle has carried to 64—four of whom have flown multiple times. Among the six passengers were:
Amy Medina Jorge, a Texas-based teacher sponsored by Mexican health company Farmacias Similares,
- Gretchen Green, a doctor and entrepreneur,
- Jaime Alemán, a Panamanian lawyer and former ambassador to the U.S.,
- Jesse Williams, a Canadian adventurer and businessman,
- Mark Rocket, a New Zealand investor and former Rocket Lab co-director,
- Paul Jeris, a real estate developer.
Notably, the flight marked historic milestones: Mark Rocket became the first New Zealander to travel to space, and Jaime Alemán became the first Panamanian.
The astronaut crew included K-12 STEM teacher Aymette Medina Jorge, radiologist turned explorer Dr. Gretchen Green, former Panamanian ambassador to the United States Jaime Alemán, businessman Jesse Williams, aerospace executive Mark Rocket, and entrepreneur Paul Jeris. To date, New Shepard has flown 64 people to space. Credit: Blue Origin
This mission was the fourth New Shepard launch of 2025—three with crews and one dedicated to payloads simulating lunar gravity. Blue Origin has yet to reveal how many launches are scheduled for the remainder of the year.
Speaking days earlier at the Humans to the Moon and Mars Summit, Limp emphasized the importance of the New Shepard program despite Blue Origin’s growing focus on its larger orbital rocket, New Glenn, and its upcoming lunar lander, Blue Moon. He reaffirmed that New Shepard remains integral to the company’s strategy.
“First of all, it’s a good business,” Limp said. “There is an insatiable demand for people who’ve dreamed of space travel. It’s still very difficult to achieve, but New Shepard makes it possible.”
Limp also highlighted New Shepard’s role as a proving ground for emerging technologies, including avionics and lidar systems intended for integration into Blue Origin’s larger space initiatives like New Glenn and the Blue Moon Mark 1 lander, which is expected to fly later this year.
While the company continues to keep pricing and revenue figures under wraps, Blue Origin’s latest flight underscores the growing commercial and technological relevance of suborbital missions in the broader space industry landscape.
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