Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin said on Tuesday it is set to launch its fifth space tourism mission this weekend.
What Happened: The six-member New Shephard crew led by Evan Dick aims to liftoff at 9 am ET from Blue Origin's West Texas site.
Dick is a repeat Blue Origin customer who had in March led a New Shephard mission.
The mission was previously aimed to launch on May 20 but was postponed after a potential issue with the New Shephard was discovered.
See Also: Beam Me Up Bezos! Star Trek Star William Shatner Headed To Space
The Crew: Besides Dick, Blue Origin’s reusable rocket will fly former NASA test lead Katya Echazarreta, who will also become the first Mexican-born woman to reach space. Other members include business jet pilot Hamish Harding, civil production engineer Victor Correa Hespanha, adventurer Jaison Robinson, and co-founder of private equity firm Insight Equity Victor Vescovo.
A new wave of space tourism kickstarted last year by Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE), Elon Musk's SpaceX, and Blue Origin is drawing celebrities who are booking flights for six-figure sums per seat.
Unlike Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, SpaceX sends out astronauts much deeper into space and for many days.
Some celebrities who have booked future space flights include Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Justin Bieber.
Blue Origin will webcast the event live on its website as well as on its various social media platforms.
