On March 31, 2022, Blue Origin successfully completed its fourth human spaceflight and 20th overall flight for New Shepard.
The astronaut manifest included: Marty Allen, Sharon Hagle, Marc Hagle, Jim Kitchen, Gary Lai, and Dr. George Nield.
“Congratulations to our astronauts on today’s mission above the K·rm·n Line,” said Phil Joyce, senior vice president of New Shepard for Blue Origin. “We had the honor of safely flying this crew of six — each person with their own story of mentorship and passion for human spaceflight. We’re looking forward to many more flights this year, and we’re grateful to our astronaut customers for their trust in this amazing team.”
Blue Origin is planning more crewed and payload flights throughout 2022 and beyond.
Allen is a turnaround CEO and angel investor. Sharon Hagle founded SpaceKids Global in 2015, a nonprofit whose mission is to inspire students to excel in STEAM+ education with a focus on empowering young girls. Marc Hagle is president and CEO of Tricor International, a residential and commercial property development corporation. Kitchen is a teacher, entrepreneur, and world explorer who has visited all 193 U.N.-recognized countries. Lai is an expert in space launch vehicle design and space system business development, with 23 years of experience in the industry. In 2004, he was one of the first 20 employees to join Blue Origin. Nield is the president of Commercial Space Technologies, LLC, which he founded to encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space activities. He previously served as associate administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation and was responsible for licensing and regulating all commercial launch activities. Earlier in his career, he held engineering roles at the Air Force Flight Test Center and the Orbital Sciences Corporation, and he was an assistant professor and research director at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Nield also served as the manager of the Flight Integration Office for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program.
