GMA's Michael Strahan goes to space and back: 'Almost like an out-of-body experience'
Also on board the third crewed flight: the eldest daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
Onlookers watch as Blue Origin's New Shepard flies toward space carrying Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan; Laura Shepard Churchley, daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard; and four other civilians on Dec. 11, 2021.
Blue Origin completed the 19th flight of its New Shepard rocket on Saturday, and for the first time a member of the Shepard family was aboard.
Laura Shepard Churchley, eldest daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American in space, joined former NFL titan and current Good Morning America host Michael Strahan as honorary guests for the flight. "It's almost like an out-of-body experience," Strahan told a reporter after the flight. "It's hard to even believe it happened."
Four paying customers were also in the crew cabin for the mission, dubbed NS-19, marking the first time a full group of six passengers has made the trip to the edge of space and back with the help of billionaire Jeff Bezos' side gig.
"It's almost like an out of body experience, it's hard to even believe it happened." @michaelstrahan talks going to space one-on-one with @arobach.
— ABC News (@ABC) December 11, 2021
LATEST: https://t.co/U7ROimgvM7 pic.twitter.com/HJ1DNAdxWM
Those customers were space industry executive Dylan Taylor (CEO of Voyager Space Holdings and founder of nonprofit Space for Humanity); investor Evan Dick; and Bess Ventures founder Lane Bess and Cameron Bess.
"Lane and Cameron Bess will become the first parent-child pair to fly in space," Blue Origin said in a statement prior to launch.
Liftoff! The crew of #NS19 headed to space today on board #NewShepard. The third human spaceflight for the program in 2021. pic.twitter.com/Z8V3k652Or
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) December 11, 2021
The New Shepard rocket blasted off from the company's West Texas launch facility at 7 a.m. PT. The flight was originally set for Wednesday, but windy weather forced a delay.
Within minutes of launch, the booster stage lofted the crew capsule to a high altitude, where it separated, and the capsule continued on to more than 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the Earth, the commonly accepted beginning of outer space (though that's complicated).
The New Shepard crew capsule descends. It was the third human spaceflight for Blue Origin.
While the crew enjoyed a few minutes of weightlessness and an unparalleled view, the booster returned for a landing near the launch pad. The newly minted astronauts then reentered earth's atmosphere for a soft landing back in the high desert with the help of multiple parachutes.
Touchdown in the West Texas desert! What an incredible day for our astronauts and Team Blue. Congrats to all on a wholly successful mission. #NS19 pic.twitter.com/uN0uxKvUZ1
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) December 11, 2021
The whole thing was over in just about 15 minutes, but Strahan tweeted that it was "surreal" and "unbelievable."
TOUCHDOWN has a new meaning now!!!
— Michael Strahan (@michaelstrahan) December 11, 2021
WOW…. that was amazing!!! 🚀🚀 @blueorigin @SMAC pic.twitter.com/xz54JT49f3
NS-19 is the third launch of a New Shepard to carry humans to space. The first crewed launch carried Bezos, his brother, and aviation pioneer Wally Funk, along with one paying customer. The second saw a Blue Origin employee, two paying customers, and sci-fi legend William Shatner in the crew cabin.
No word yet on who might be up next.
Other players in the game of commercial spaceflight include Elon Musk's SpaceX, which in September sent the civilian crew of its Inspiration4 mission orbiting around the Earth nearly 50 times, and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, which in July sent the British billionaire and others on a brief jaunt to the edge of space.
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