Blue Origin successfully executed its fifteenth crewed journey aboard the New Shepard vehicle on October 8, 2025, marking a notable achievement in the commercial space tourism sector. Designated mission NS-36, the flight lifted off from the company's operational hub in West Texas, continuing the effort to broaden access to the edge of space for private citizens.
The RSS First Step crew capsule reached an apogee of 106 kilometers, briefly crossing the boundary where Earth's atmosphere gives way to the vacuum of space. The entire suborbital experience, from the powerful ascent to the controlled descent, concluded in approximately ten minutes. Demonstrating the New Shepard architecture's reusability, the booster stage performed a precise, powered vertical landing just three minutes after launch.
The six passengers aboard the flight included Will Lewis, Chairman of a prominent biotech firm, and Clint Kelly III, who returned to space as a repeat traveler. The diverse crew also featured Aaron Newman, CEO of a cloud computing enterprise; Danna Karagussova, an engineer; Jeff Elgin, a retired military officer; and Vitalii Ostrovsky, a physicist. One passenger remained anonymous until after the flight. This successful mission represents the 36th overall flight for the New Shepard program, which has now flown 86 humans into space.
Looking ahead, Blue Origin is charting an ambitious course to significantly increase the operational tempo of New Shepard. The organization aims to achieve a cadence of roughly one flight per week within the next two years, a goal predicated on integrating three additional New Shepard systems into the active fleet. Efforts are also focused internally on refining the performance of the BE-3 engine through targeted upgrades designed to reduce operational expenditures and shorten turnaround times between missions.
To support this heightened frequency, the company is proactively examining the development of new launch facilities situated outside the United States, signaling a commitment to global infrastructure for this emerging frontier of travel. This systematic approach to scaling operations, coupled with the pursuit of enhanced engine efficiency, reflects a broader industry trend toward making routine access to near-space more economically viable.