Historic Space Flight: 90-Year-Old Ed Dwight Becomes Oldest Person to Reach Space Aboard Blue Origin's NS-25 Mission

Van Horn, Texas, Texas United States of America
Blue Origin had faced a hiatus after an engine failure in late 2022 and NS-25 marked a significant milestone for the private space travel company.
Blue Origin successfully launched NS-25 mission to space on May 19, 2024 with six passengers.
Ed Dwight finally went to space after being recommended for astronaut training in NASA's space program in 1961 but never got the opportunity.
Ed Dwight, first Black astronaut candidate in NASA's space program at age 90 became the oldest person to venture into space.
NS-25 was the seventh crewed flight for Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, following an FAA investigation into a failed nozzle due to higher temperatures than anticipated.
Passengers experienced weightlessness and saw Earth from above during their brief journey. Prices for New Shepard flights not disclosed.
Historic Space Flight: 90-Year-Old Ed Dwight Becomes Oldest Person to Reach Space Aboard Blue Origin's NS-25 Mission

On May 19, 2024, Blue Origin successfully launched its NS-25 mission to space with six passengers on board. Among them was Ed Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate in NASA's space program who never went to space before. This marked a historic moment as Dwight became the oldest person to venture into space at the age of 90.

Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, had faced a hiatus after an engine failure in late 2022. The NS-25 mission was the first manned launch since then and represented a significant milestone for the private space travel company.

The passengers experienced weightlessness and saw Earth against the blackness of space during their brief journey. Although prices for New Shepard flights have not been disclosed, it is known that they include a few minutes of weightlessness and an unforgettable view of our planet from above.

The NS-25 mission was the seventh crewed flight for Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. Previously, the company had conducted six successful missions with passengers on board. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversaw an investigation into the engine failure in late 2022 and revealed that it was caused by a failed nozzle due to higher temperatures than anticipated. Blue Origin implemented design changes to improve safety following the incident.

Ed Dwight, who was recommended for astronaut training in NASA's space program in 1961 but never got the opportunity, finally went to space on this mission. He expressed his excitement and gratitude during the flight, stating that he didn't need to go to space before but now he did.

The NS-25 mission was carried out from Blue Origin's facilities in West Texas. The passengers included venture capitalist Mason Angel, founder of Brasserie Mont-Blanc Sylvain Chiron, software engineer and entrepreneur Kenneth L. Hess, retired accountant Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura.

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket has been a game-changer in the space industry by offering affordable space travel opportunities for civilians. The company continues to push boundaries and inspire people with its innovative approach to space exploration.



Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • Was the engine failure in late 2022 fully investigated and all necessary design changes implemented before NS-25 launch?
  • What were the exact causes of Ed Dwight's exclusion from NASA's space program in 1961?

Sources

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Blue Origin's tourism rocket, the New Shepard, has launched six tourists to the edge of space after a nearly two-year hiatus.
    • The launch took place at Blue Origin's facilities in West Texas.
    • Ed Dwight is the oldest person to venture to the edge of space at the age of 90.
    • During the mission, the crew soared more than three times the speed of sound and reached an altitude widely recognized as where outer space begins, past the Kármán line (62 miles or 100 kilometers above Earth's surface).
    • The Federal Aviation Administration oversaw an investigation into the failure, which revealed that the engine nozzle failed because it experienced higher temperatures than anticipated. Blue Origin implemented design changes to improve safety.
    • Before the September 2022 failure, New Shepard rockets had flown 21 consecutive successful missions including six with passengers on board.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

Safe and accounted for.

The Verge Wes Davis Sunday, 19 May 2024 15:07
  • Unique Points
    • Ed Dwight, the first Black Astronaut candidate in NASA's space program, flew to space for the first time during Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

  • Unique Points
    • Blue Origin’s New Shepard will carry six people on its NS-25 mission on May 19, 2023.
    • Michael Strahan, Laura Shepard Churchley, Ed Dwight, Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller and Gopi Thotakura will participate in the mission.
    • The launch window opens at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT; 8:30 a.m. local time in West Texas).
    • Space.com will carry Blue Origin’s webcast for the launch.
    • New Shepard flights were suspended after an anomaly during NS-22, but resumed with the uncrewed NS-24 mission in December 2023.
    • Passengers experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see Earth against the blackness of space. Prices for New Shepard flights have not been released.
    • NS-25 will be the seventh crewed New Shepard flight, with the other missions being robotic research efforts.
  • Accuracy
    • Blue Origin's New Shepard will carry six people on its NS-25 mission on May 19, 2023.
    • Ed Dwight is the oldest person to venture to the edge of space at the age of 90.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    No formal fallacies were found in the article. However, there is an example of a dichotomous depiction and an appeal to authority. The dichotomous depiction comes from the phrase 'You can read more about each of them here.' This implies that readers must be interested enough to click on the link provided or they have not fully absorbed the information presented in the article. Additionally, there is an appeal to authority when referencing that prices for New Shepard flights have not been released, but competitor Virgin Galactic's seats start at $450,000 apiece. This implies that Virgin Galactic is a reputable source for comparison. Despite these two instances, the article overall does not contain a significant number of fallacies.
    • You can read more about each of them here.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Ed Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate, became the oldest person to go to space on May 19, 2024
    • Dwight took his first trip to space more than 60 years after being recommended by the Air Force for astronaut training in 1961
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, completed its first manned launch since late 2022 engine failure.
    • Ed Dwight finally went to space on this flight.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication