“Blue Origin” sets May 20 as the date for its sixth tourist trip into space

Washington (AFP): Blue Origin has set May 20 for the next flight of its rocket, which will include six passengers, including the first Mexican-born woman to go into space, and the rocket is scheduled to take off at 8:30 am (13:30 GMT). c) from West Texas, the fifth manned flight into space organized by the company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. Among the six tourists on the trip will be Katia Ichasarita, who was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. The engineer, who came to the United States at the age of seven and is now 26, will also become the youngest American to go into space, and she is sponsored by the “Space for Humanity” program that aims to make space travel available to all. She was chosen from among seven thousand candidates. The flight also includes Spain’s Vitor Correa, who will be the second Brazilian to go into space. The “Blue Origin” missile carries its passengers beyond the Karman line, which is the boundary between the terrestrial and space spheres according to internationally approved standards, and is located at an altitude of 100 km. The trip lasts only about ten minutes. Passengers are allowed to unfasten their seat belts and detach from their seats to float for a few moments in weightlessness and enjoy the view of the Earth from space through large windows. It is not known how much space tourists will pay for tickets to participate in the “Blue Origin” flights. Jeff Bezos himself participated in the first manned flight of the “New Shepherd” missile in July 2021. Among the most prominent participants in the subsequent flights were actor William Shatner, who played the character of Captain Kirk in the famous “Star Trek” series, and Laura Shepherd Churchley, daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American Climb into space.