Six more space touristsare preparing to join the growing ranks of civilianswho have flown on a Blue Origin rocket to the edge of space. The vehicle they'll ride to orbit, Blue Origin's New Shepard, is the same one that58 others have ridden to spaceon 11previous human spaceflightsfrom the company's west Texas facility. The New Shepard's maiden voyage in July 2021 with a creweven included billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns the space technology company. New Shepard is composed of both a rocket and a crew capsule, which is outfitted with large windows for its passengers to glimpse spectacular views thatmost of us will never see. The rest of us will instead have to content ourselves with watching the mission on solid ground. Fortunately, Blue Origin will provide a livestream for the launch and spaceflight. Here'severything to know aboutBlue Origin's next human spaceflight and how to watch a livestream. When is the next Blue Origin launch?What to know about New Shepard liftoff, crew Billionaire Jeff Bezos, best known for founding Amazon, is the founder of the private space technology company Blue Origin. Bezos himself even boarded Blue Origin's New Shepardfor its maiden crewed voyage in July 2021, which came after the spacecraft flew on 15 flight tests beginning in 2012. For nearly four years since its first crewed mission, the New Shepard spacecraft has served as a powerful symbol of Blue Origin's commercial spaceflight ambitions amida growing space tourism industry. In addition to sending space tourists on brief joy rides to the edge of space, Blue Origin has also increasingly sought to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX. Blue Origin's massive New Glenn rocket, whichflew on its inaugural flight test in January, is also being developed for future spaceflights. At 320 feet tall, the spacecraft rivalsSpaceX's 400-foot Starshipin size. Blue Origin's next crewed launch, known as NS-32, could get off the ground as early as 9:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. CT) Saturday, May 31, the company announced announced Tuesday, May 27. Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches take place from the company's private ranch facility known asLaunch Site One. The facility is located 30 miles north of the town of Van Horn in Culberson County – more than 140 miles east of El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border. Blue Origin will provide a webcast of the launch beginning about 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled liftoff on itswebsite. When the New Shepard gets off the ground again, the six people selected to board it will join58 others who have flownon the spacecraft across 11 previous human spaceflights. Here's a look at the passengers: Aymette (Amy) Medina Jorge, a STEM teacher at Odyssey Academy in Galveston, Texas, who has led more than 60 zero-gravity space experiments. Gretchen Green, a radiologist specializing in women's imaging with more than 20 years of clinical experience. Jaime Alemán, a Panamanian attorney, businessman and former ambassador to the United States. Jesse Williams, a Canadian entrepreneur and adventurer who serves as CEO of Car History Group, which he founded in 2012. Mark Rocket, an entrepreneur from Christchurch, New Zealand, who is CEO of Kea Aerospace, which develops solar-powered UAVs for aerial imaging and monitoring, and president of Aerospace New Zealand. Paul Jeris, a real estate developer and entrepreneur Eachspaceflight on a New Shepard vehiclelasts about 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown. Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, the 60-foot-tall New Shepard rocket is topped withthe gum drop-shaped crew capsule. During its ascent, the spacecraft reaches supersonic speeds surpassing 2,000 mph before the rocket booster separates from the crew capsule. At that point, those aboard the capsule become weightless as the spacecraft continues toward its highest point on its brief voyage above the Kármán Line – the 62-mile-high internationally recognized boundary of space. While experiencing a few minutes of microgravity, passengers have the opportunity to unstrap themselves from their seats to gaze out thecapsule's large windowsand take in a stunning view of Earth. Meanwhile, the rocket booster heads back to the ground while firing its engines and using its fins to slow and control its descent to land vertical about two miles from the launchpad. The capsule itself eventually begins what Blue Origin refers to as a "stable freefall" – plummeting back to Earth as three massive parachutes deploy and the capsule makes a soft landing in the desert, sending up plumes of dust. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Blue Origin launch: Date, time, how to watch crewed mission live
