In this era of commercial space travel, Blue Origin has become a major player in turning the dream of spaceflight into reality for people with the means — including some celebrities.
Case in point: Pop star Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King are part of Blue Origin’s upcoming all-female spaceflight, which is set to launch on Monday (April 14). That mission, known as NS-31, also includes Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn, Amanda Nguyen and Lauren Sánchez (the partner of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos), all of them notable figures in their own right.
Here’s a look at the other well-known people that Blue Origin has launched to suborbital space aboard its New Shepard suborbital vehicle, on brief missions that have all added to the evolving nature of space tourism.
Jeff Bezos and Wally Funk
It all began with Blue Origin’s inaugural human spaceflight on July 20, 2021. Bezos himself took a seat on New Shepard’s NS-16 mission, fulfilling a lifelong dream and marking the dawn of his company’s space tourism era.
Joining him on that historic flight was female aviation pioneer Wally Funk, whose journey was decades in the making after being denied the opportunity to go to space in the 1960s. (Bezos’ brother Jeff and Dutch student Oliver Daemen were the other crewmates on NS-16.)
William Shatner
At 90 years old, legendary “Star Trek” actor William Shatner became the oldest person to fly to space aboard NS-18 on Oct. 13, 2021, wresting the title from the 82-year-old Funk. The flight was a full-circle moment, as the man who famously portrayed Captain Kirk finally experienced space for real. Upon his return, Shatner shared an emotional reflection on Earth’s fragility.
Michael Strahan
Television personality and former NFL star Michael Strahan was a member of Blue Origin’s first six-person crew (NS-19), which flew to space on Dec. 11, 2021. Strahan played for the New York Giants from 1993 to 2007 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014, the same year he joined “Good Morning America” as a co-host.
Strahan brought a football with him on NS-19 that was later put in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Coby Cotton
YouTube star Coby Cotton of Dude Perfect fame took his trick-shot skills to a whole new altitude aboard NS-22 on Aug. 4, 2022. His flight marked a new era for influencer involvement in space travel, engaging a younger audience with the possibilities of space.
Ed Dwight
More than six decades after initially being selected as the United States’ first Black astronaut candidate (via a U.S. Air Force training program, which didn’t turn into a NASA post), 90-year-old Ed Dwight joined the crew of NS-25, which launched on May 19, 2024. Dwight, a former U.S. Air Force captain, subsequently became a sculptor well known for his contributions to art and history.
Emily Calandrelli
A longtime advocate for science communication and space education, Emily Calandrelli — host of the TV series “Emily’s Wonder Lab” and a former MIT engineer — flew on NS-28 on Nov. 22, 2024, becoming the 100th woman to fly to space.