JAKARTA – Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plane is scheduled to launch its third space tourism flight on Thursday, December 9. But wind forecasts have pushed the mission back to Saturday, December 11.
Lift from Launch Site One is now targeted at 09:45 ET from Launch Site One in the city of Van Horn, West Texas.
The flight will include six passengers, including Good Morning America host Michael Strahan and Laura Shepard Churchley - the eldest daughter of Alan Shepard, who was the first American to fly into space.
The other four, who have paid dearly for the experience, include space industry executive and philanthropist Dylan Taylor, investor Evan Dick, Bess Ventures founder Lane Bess and Cameron Bess, who will become the first parent-child duo to fly in space.
Wednesday's announcement also states that the team has completed the Flight Readiness Review and the vehicle has met all mission requirements for launch.
"Astronauts will complete training today and the weather remains the only gateway factor for launch," Blue Origin said in a blog post.
READY FOR LIFTOFF: @michaelstrahan talks final preparations ahead of space launch https://t.co/4b7nEhLBFU pic.twitter.com/JhCPNVEcXf
— Good Morning America (@GMA) December 8, 2021
Monday was the team's first day of training at the West Texas location where they wore well-fitting blue flight suits, learned their seat assignments and strapped them into the capsule for the first time.
Kevin Sproge, Blue Origin's 7th Crewmember in charge of training, told the astronauts, as quoted by Good Morning America: 'When you walk into the hold, straight to your left is seat number one, and it rotates clockwise to seat six.
"The first time they go into the capsule for their training, their name tag and sticker will be on their seat and that's where they'll see where they're going to sit," says Sproge.
On Tuesday, the second day of training, the crew carried out a launch run-through, which included them climbing the 80-foot tower by seven stairs to the capsule.
"The closer we get the more stuff we're doing in the launch tower and walking across the bridge, ringing the bell - the more you know this is reality," Strahan told GMA.
Each passenger is also allowed to carry up to three pounds of cargo into space, which is in a bag inside the capsule.
Saturday's mission marks New Shepard's 19th flight and the first time the rocket will carry six people in a Blue Origin capsule into space. While the previous mission only included four people.
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