Blue Origin’s NS-36 Mission Set to Launch from Texas Tomorrow

TEXAS — Blue Origin is set to launch its NS-36 mission on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, sending six crew members into space aboard its New Shepard rocket from Launch Site One in West Texas. The launch window opens at 8:00 AM CDT (13:00 UTC), with a live webcast starting 30 minutes prior to liftoff.

The crew for this mission includes Jeff Elgin, Danna Karagussova, Dr. Clint Kelly III, Aaron Newman, and Vitalii Ostrovsky, along with an undisclosed sixth member who has chosen to remain anonymous until after the flight. The sixth crew member’s last name, “Lewis,” appears on the mission patch.

This marks the 15th human flight of the New Shepard program, which has sent a total of 75 people above the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. Dr. Clint Kelly is flying for the second time; he previously participated in the NS-22 mission.

Jeff Elgin is a franchise industry executive with over 40 years of experience. He founded FranChoice in 2000 to help aspiring franchise owners. Danna Karagussova has a background in media and events, co-founding a digital self-regulation tool company. Dr. Kelly is an electrical engineer who has made significant contributions to robotics and space research. Aaron Newman is a serial entrepreneur and an explorer, while Vitalii Ostrovsky is a Ukrainian businessman with extensive international experience.

The NS-36 mission not only promises a ride beyond Earth but also offers passengers a few minutes of weightlessness and stunning views of our planet’s curvature before returning for a parachute-assisted landing in the Texas desert.

The launch signals a step forward for commercial space travel, with ticket prices starting at a minimum deposit of $150,000. Blue Origin has been actively flying people into space since 2021.