Two commercial astronauts, who happen to be married, are returning to the edge of space together once again.
Winter Park residents Sharon and Marc Hagle will board Blue Origin’s New Shepard space capsule at the commercial space company's launch facility in West Texas. The NS-28 mission’s launch window opens at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning.
New Shepard is Blue Origin’s reusable suborbital spacecraft that carries people past the Karman line, which is recognized as the boundary of space.
The capsule will land 11 minutes after launch under a canopy of parachutes.
The Hagles first became commercial astronauts back in March of 2022. Their flight, from takeoff to landing, lasted about ten minutes and became them as the first married couple
The crew of six aboard on their return flight will mark the ninth human spaceflight mission from Blue Origin. So far the company has launched 43 people above Earth to experience weightlessness and see the planet from space.
A special audience is also watching this launch. Sharon is the founder of SpaceKids Global, an educational nonprofit that aims to get youth interested in pursuing education and careers in space.
During her trek into space, selected winners of the Space Kids Global Press Squad Contest will be watching her flight from Cape Canaveral. The press squad will have the opportunity to interview Blue Origin members and tour the aerospace company’s facilities.
