Blue Origin Completes 13th Crewed Suborbital Flight From Texas

Blue Origin successfully completed its 13th crewed suborbital flight on June 29, 2025, launching six civilian astronauts, including the married couple Allie and Carl Kuehner, from West Texas to just above the Karman Line and back. The New Shepard spacecraft reached an altitude of approximately 105 kilometers (65 miles), surpassing the internationally recognized boundary of space, and provided the passengers about three minutes of weightlessness with views through the largest windows in any operational spacecraft. The flight lasted about 10 minutes in total, with the hydrogen-fueled BE-3 engine accelerating the capsule to nearly three times the speed of sound before separation and coast to apogee. Both the reusable booster and crew capsule returned safely to the launch site, with the capsule landing closer than any previous mission due to favorable low winds. This mission marked Blue Origin's 70th person launched into space and included the first Nigerian astronaut, Owolabi Salis. Additionally, the flight carried over 1,000 physical and digital postcards created by students and the public as part of Blue Origin's Club For the Future initiative.