Blue Origin plans to launch six passengers on the New Shepard suborbital vehicle on Dec. 18 at 8:30 a.m. CT (backup day available). The NS-37 crew includes Michaela (Michi) Benthaus, who could become the first wheelchair user in space. The roughly 11-minute flight will cross the Kármán Line, provide minutes of weightlessness, and return to a parachute-assisted desert landing. Blue Origin will webcast the launch beginning about 40 minutes before liftoff.
Blue Origin Targets Dec. 18 Launch — Six To Fly On New Shepard; Could Include First Wheelchair User In Space
Blue Origin's "barn" is where rocket boosters merge with the capsules that will take passengers into space.
Blue Origin is preparing to launch six passengers on its New Shepard suborbital vehicle in mission NS-37, with liftoff targeted for Thursday, Dec. 18 at 8:30 a.m. Central Time. The flight will lift the crew more than 60 miles above Earth for a short period of weightlessness and panoramic views before a parachute-assisted landing back in West Texas.
When and Where
The company has set a planned ignition time of 8:30 a.m. CT. A Federal Aviation Administration operations-plan advisory indicates a backup opportunity is available the following day if weather or technical issues force a delay. The flight will launch from Blue Origin’s private Launch Site One on its desert ranch near Van Horn in Culberson County, Texas — more than 140 miles east of El Paso.
How To Watch
Blue Origin will stream a live webcast beginning about 40 minutes before the scheduled liftoff on the company website and on X (formerly Twitter). The company does not maintain formal public viewing areas at the facility, but spectators often gather along U.S. Route 54 and at roadside pull-offs with clear sightlines to the rocket’s ascent.
Suggested Public Viewing Locations Near Van Horn
Stephanie Baldwin, from right, Mike Hicks and Lori Grajeda park along Highway 54 in Van Horn in hopes of seeing the Blue Origin launch into space Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Jeff Bezos and three other passengers launched into space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.
- Van Horn City Park (3rd Street and Austin Street)
- Okey D. Lucas Memorial Park (1804 W. Broadway St., Van Horn)
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park — roughly 60 miles north of Van Horn and about 40 miles north of the launch site
- Scenic Overlook — a pull-off on westbound I‑10 about 4 miles west of Van Horn with an elevated view over U.S. Route 54
- Roadside pull-offs along U.S. Route 54, where viewers have previously stopped to watch launches
About The Flight
Each New Shepard human flight is short — roughly 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown. The 60-foot-tall New Shepard stack, topped by a rounded crew capsule, operates fully autonomously with no pilots on board. During ascent the vehicle exceeds supersonic speed (more than 2,000 mph) before the booster separates and returns to land vertically. The capsule continues to its peak above the Kármán Line (about 62 miles altitude), producing a few minutes of microgravity for the crew. After reentry, three large parachutes deploy and the capsule makes a soft touchdown in the desert.
Who’s Onboard (NS-37)
- Michaela (Michi) Benthaus — Aerospace engineer at the European Space Agency; uses a wheelchair following a 2018 mountain-biking accident and could become the first wheelchair user in space.
- Joey Hyde — Physicist and hedge fund investor from Florida.
- Hans Koenigsmann — German-American aerospace engineer and former long-time SpaceX executive.
- Neal Milch — Business executive and chair of the board at the Jackson Laboratory.
- Adonis Pouroulis — Entrepreneur and investor in natural resources and energy.
- Jason Stansell — West Texas adventurer with a passion for rocketry and space.
This mission will bring the total number of people who have flown on New Shepard to roughly 86 across 16 human flights (including repeat flyers). For anyone who can’t travel to West Texas, the Blue Origin webcast and social channels will offer live coverage starting about 40 minutes before the scheduled 8:30 a.m. CT liftoff.
Credits
Reporting compiled from Blue Origin announcements and FAA advisories. For media inquiries or to follow the live stream, visit Blue Origin’s official website and social channels.
