Status Report

NS-21 targets liftoff on May 20

By SpaceRef Editor
May 13, 2022
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Blue Origin today announced its fifth human flight, NS-21, will lift off from Launch Site One on Friday, May 20. The launch window opens at 8:30 a.m. CDT / 13:30 UTC. The webcast will start at T-60 minutes on BlueOrigin.com. 

 

Additionally, Blue Origin released the NS-21 mission patch (NS-21 press kit can be found here). A few patch highlights: 

  • The patch concept came from Astronaut Evan Dick, who said reaching space in the crew capsule on NS-19 felt like climbing above the surface of the ocean after a lifetime of living below the surface. Additionally, several of the NS-21 astronauts have journeyed to the depths of the oceans and are passionate about the Earth’s waters. The five stars around the crew capsule represent Blue Origin’s fifth human flight. 
  • The arrow symbolizes Blue Origin’s astronaut pin to celebrate Evan Dick’s second flight on New Shepard, in addition to the thin line within the number ‘2.’ Evan is also a passionate sailor and diver. 
  • The lighting bold represents Katya Echazarreta’s passion for electricity and her mission to increase representation of women and minorities in STEM. 
  • The circle represents Hamish Harding’s accomplishment of setting the global circumnavigation record by plane. In 2021, he dived the Challenger Deep, the deepest point in the world, with Victor Vescovo in a two-person submarine. 
  • The diamond with the circle represents Brazil’s flag in honor of Victor Correa Hespanha’s heritage. 
  • The water drop honors Jaison Robinson’s passion for diving, water polo, and climbing the tallest waterfall in the world.  
  • The triangle represents a mountain, paying homage to Victor Vescovo’s feat climbing the world’s seven summits. In 2020, he became the first person to repeatedly dive Challenger Deep (now 12 times) and is the first person to visit the deepest point in the world’s five oceans.  

 

Follow Blue Origin on Twitter and BlueOrigin.com for mission updates.  

SpaceRef staff editor.