Blue Origin NS-16 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
NS-16

Mission type	Test flight
Operator	Blue Origin
Mission duration	10 minutes, 18 seconds
Apogee	107 kilometres (66 miles)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	RSS First Step
Manufacturer	Blue Origin
Crew
Members	Jeff Bezos Mark Bezos Wally Funk Oliver Daemen
Start of mission
Launch date	20 July 2021, 13:11 UTC
Rocket	New Shepard (NS4)
Launch site	Corn Ranch
End of mission
Landing date	20 July 2021, 13:21 UTC
Landing site	Corn Ranch
Blue Origin insignia New Shepard flights ← NS-15 NS-17 →

NS-16 was a special space trip run by a company called Blue Origin. It happened on July 20, 2021. This flight was the sixteenth time Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket and spacecraft flew. It was also the very first time people rode on it! Four people went to space on this mission. They were Jeff Bezos, who started Blue Origin, his brother Mark Bezos, pilot Wally Funk, and student Oliver Daemen. The rocket took off from Blue Origin's launch site in West Texas.

The NS-16 flight was the first time people flew into space from the U.S. state of Texas. Oliver Daemen, who was 18, became the youngest person to travel to space. Wally Funk, at 82, became the oldest person to go to space. This mission was also the first fully automatic flight with regular people as passengers. The crew members earned the title of FAA commercial astronauts.

Who Flew on NS-16?

Four people were part of the NS-16 crew.

Original Plan for the Fourth Seat

Blue Origin held an auction to pick the fourth person for the flight. The money from this auction went to a program called Club for the Future. The person who won the auction offered $28 million.

However, the winner had other plans and could not make the flight. So, they were moved to a future New Shepard flight instead.

Oliver Daemen Joins the Crew

Oliver Daemen took the empty spot on the flight. Oliver's father, Joes Daemen, paid for his son's seat. Joes Daemen is the CEO of a company called Somerset Capital Partners.

Prime crew

Position	Astronaut
Tourist	Jeff Bezos First spaceflight
Commander	Mark Bezos First spaceflight
Tourist	Wally Funk First spaceflight
Tourist	Oliver Daemen First spaceflight

See also

In Spanish: Blue Origin NS-16 para niños