Blue Origin has unveiled the six-person crew that will embark on the company’s NS-25 mission, marking the 25th flight of the New Shepard program and the seventh human flight. The crew includes a diverse group of individuals, most notably Ed Dwight, who was selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the nation’s first Black astronaut candidate but never had the opportunity to fly to space.
The NS-25 Crew
Joining Dwight on the NS-25 mission are Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura. This mission will further expand the number of humans who have crossed the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, with the New Shepard program having already flown 31 individuals above this threshold.
Ed Dwight’s Pioneering Journey
In 1961, Ed Dwight was chosen by President Kennedy to enter training at the Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS), an elite U.S. Air Force flight training program that served as a pathway for entering the NASA Astronaut Corps. Dwight successfully completed the ARPS program in 1963 and was recommended by the U.S. Air Force for the NASA Astronaut Corps. However, he was ultimately not among those selected.
After leaving the Air Force in 1966, Dwight spent a decade as an entrepreneur before dedicating his life’s work to using sculpture as a medium to tell the story of Black history. For the past five decades, he has created large-scale monuments of iconic Black figures, cementing his legacy as an artist and historian.
Upcoming Mission Details
The flight date for the NS-25 mission will be announced in the near future. Blue Origin encourages interested individuals to follow the company on various social media platforms, including X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and YouTube, and to sign up on the BlueOrigin.com website to stay informed about all mission details.
