WASHINGTON, Aug 29, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Blue Origin flew its latest group of
six thrill-seekers to the edge of space and back again Thursday, including
the youngest-ever woman to complete the feat.

Mission NS-26 marked the eighth human spaceflight for the company, founded by
Jeff Bezos, as it presses ahead in the emerging suborbital tourism market.

Karsen Kitchen, a 21-year-old senior at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, became the youngest woman ever to cross the Karman Line, the
internationally recognized boundary marking the edge of space, 100 kilometers
(62 miles) above the Earth's surface.

Blue Origin's small New Shepard rocket blasted off at 8:00 am local time
(1300 GMT) from the company's Launch Site One base in west Texas.

After liftoff, the sleek and spacious capsule separated from its booster,
which boasts zero carbon emissions, before the rocket performed a precise
vertical landing.

As the spaceship soared beyond the Karman Line, passengers had the chance to
marvel at the Earth's curvature and unbuckle their seatbelts to float during
a few minutes of weightlessness.

"Being there in the darkness of space... there's no way to talk about how
impressive that is," said Rob Ferl, a NASA-funded researcher who conducted an
experiment during the flight.

The capsule then reentered the atmosphere, deploying its parachutes for a
desert landing near the launch site. The total flight time is typically
around 10 to 11 minutes.

Blue Origin does not publicly disclose the cost of its tickets, but prices
are believed to vary significantly based on the individual selected, their
net worth, and the social capital they bring to the company.

The first seat sold in a 2021 charity auction went for $28 million, but
notable guests like Star Trek actor William Shatner have flown on Blue Origin
flights for free. Others have reported paying several hundred thousand
dollars.

Blue Origin's main competitor in the suborbital space market, Virgin
Galactic, is currently on a two-year pause from commercial operations as it
upgrades its fleet.