Latest news with #AerospaceNewZealand
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
1st New Zealander reaches space on Blue Origin flight
May 31 (UPI) -- Blue Origin's 12th human spaceflight carried the first New Zealander into space and back on Saturday morning in West Texas. The flight carried six passengers beyond the Karman Line, which is the internationally established boundary between space and Earth's atmosphere at an elevation of 62 miles, reported. Among the passengers was Mark Rocket, who is an aerospace executive from Christchurch, New Zealand, and is that nation's first citizen to reach space. Rocket changed his surname many years ago in honor of his passion for space travel, TVNZ1 reported on May 22. "Ever since I was a kid, I've always been fascinated by space technology and space travel," he said. "We live in a solar system, which is vast; a galaxy, which is vast; and this incredible universe, which is just hard to imagine." Rocvket's fascination with space led to a career in aerospace, and before the flight he said he was looking forward to experiencing "3Gs of rocket-powered flight up to space." Rocket is the president of Aerospace New Zealand and ownsKea Aerospace, which is developing a solar-powered, unmanned aircraft capable of reaching the stratosphere to collect high-resolution data of the Earth below it. Other crew members The flight also carried K-12 STEM teacher Aymette Medina Jorge, former Panamanian ambassador to the United States Jaime Aleman and radiologist GretchenGreen into space, according to Blue Origin. Also aboard the spaceflight were businessman Jesse Williams and entrepreneur Paul Jeris. The six passengers were weightless for about three minutes while getting a unique view of the world from space. Upon landing back on Earth, Green called the experience "perfection." "There are very few things in life that were true perfection," Green told "When I looked out at space and back down to the Earth, [it] was perfect." 32nd successful spaceflight The spaceflight was the 32nd for Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin and its New Shepard program and launched at 8:39 a.m. CDT from Blue Origin's Launch Site One about 30 miles north of Van Horn near the U.S.-Mexico border. The New Shepard launch vehicle included the capsule that carried its passengers and a booster rocket. The capsule and booster rocket are reusable. The booster rocket separated from the capsule about 2.5 minutes into the flight, which allowed the capsule to continue its ascent into space before returning to Earth. The autonomous capsule used a propulsive system to slow its descent while making a vertical landing on a concrete pad near where it launched. New Shepard is named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space in 1961 and 10 years year was the fifth person to walk on the moon. The program is intended the ferry humans and scientific payloads into space. "We thank our customers for trusting us to give them the opportunity to appreciate Earth's fragility from above," said Phil Joyce, senior vice president of New Shepard. Joyce said the experience "truly transforms those who embark on it." Blue Origin's New Shepard program has carried 64 people into space and back, including singer Katy Perry and CBS broadcast Gayle King.
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Christchurch entrepreneur to be launched into space
A Christchurch internet and aerospace entrepreneur is set to become the first Kiwi to go to space. Mark Rocket is the current President of Aerospace New Zealand and is leading the way in the emerging aerospace sector in Christchurch. Rocket will reach orbit via a Blue Origin suborbital flight from Texas, with the date yet to be announced, 1News reported. It will be the 12th human space flight by Amazon owner Jeff Bezos' space tourism business. Christchurch company goes to the stratosphere Rocket, who changed his surname years ago to match his lifelong passion, told 1News space travel is something he thinks about 'all the time'. 'Ever since I was a kid. I've always been fascinated by space technology and space travel. I remember at primary school I did a project about the planets," Rocket told 1News . 'I've always been fascinated by the concepts of space and infinity. Essentially, we live in a solar system which is vast, a galaxy which is vast, and this incredible universe. which is just hard to imagine the concepts. So I've always found that really compelling." After founding two successful internet companies in 1998 and selling one of them in 2006, Rocket had the freedom to turn his lifelong passion for space exploration into a world-changing business. He entered the aerospace world as a seed investor of Rocket Lab where he served as the company's co-director from 2007 to 2011. As well as his involvement with Aerospace Christchurch, he has worked with the Government to develop a space strategy for New Zealand and in 2018 founded his own company, Kea Aerospace. The Christchurch-based company has already begun to make an impact for good with its first project, The Kea Atmos. The project is a solar-powered, zero-emissions unmanned aerial vehicle which will capture aerial imagery and collect data from the stratosphere. The Kea Atmos will look to revolutionise the practice of aerial imagery, with the goal of continuing to gather crucial information that will assist the world in combating climate change. Meanwhile, Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket system will level out 100km above Earth, before returning to the ground under parachutes. The entire flight lasts around 11 minutes but Rocket told 1News he is not fazed by the duration. 'Certainly, the trip itself is pretty short, but buckling in, getting ready to experience 3Gs of rocket-powered flight up to space will be pretty phenomenal.' Once in space, the crew can unbuckle and fly around the cabin in zero gravity, which Rocket said will be a 'major milestone'. The previous Blue Origin flight was crewed by a raft of US celebrities, including Gayle King and Katy Perry. But Rocket told 1News he is not expecting such high-profile fanfare on his mission. 'I know who the crew is, and there's no Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston on board! So, I won't be expecting the red carpet treatment from Jeff Bezos.'
