Laura Shepard, Micheal Strahan, and More To Launch

On the heels of its voyage including legendary screen actor William Shatner, Blue Origin has announced the passengers aboard the upcoming NS-19 flight. The voyage will mark the 6th flight, the 3rd human flight for the outfit this year, and its 19th overall.

With all 6 of its seats filled, the occasion will also mark the first time the New Shepard, Blue Origin’s launch system, has completed a flight with a full complement of personnel aboard.

Blue Origin has released the crew for the flight, including Laura Shepard Churchley, daughter of the New Shepard’s namesake, astronaut Alan Shepard. Currently serving as the Chairwoman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees, an organization dedicated to raising funds for college students and offering mentors to scholars pursuing careers in STEM.

Micheal Strahan, a 2 time Emmy award winner, Super Bowl Champion, and morning show host, has been invited to join the flight by Blue Origin, and has dedicated his crew stipend to the The Boys & Girls Club. A renaissance man of the modern entertainment industry, his work has touched a number of different areas in tv and production. A sports analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, as well as owner of SMAC Entertainment, his hands can be seen throughout the spectrum of American TV on any given week.

Dylan Taylor, Chairman & CEO of Voyager Space, the global space exploration firm in Denver, Colorado, joins the group in representation of the democratisation of space travel and living. As founder of the nonprofit Space for Humanity, and co-founding patron of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Taylor has been vital to leading Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives in the space community.

Evan Dick, engineer, investor, and managing member of Dick Holdings, formerly served as Senior Vice President for D.E. Shaw and managing director of Highbridge Capital Management. Dick is a rare pilot addition to the program, being an ATP-rated aviator and volunteer for Starfighters Aerospace, as well as a sailing and motorcycling aficionado.

Lane Bess, Principal and Founder of Bess Ventures and Advisory, is a familiar face to the cybersecurity industry. An integral part of the founding of Zscaler and Palo Alto Networks, Bess has been a supporter of new, innovative, and novel technologies throughout the health, tech, and social sectors.

The final addition, Lane Bess’ child, Cameron Bess (they/them), will make history for being half of the first parent-child duo to go to space. Blue Origin says “Cameron identifies as pansexual and is proud to represent marginalized communities and hopes their journey can inspire others.” They studied computer science and game design at DigiPen Institute for Technology in Washington state. They developed an “engaging community across multiple platforms, producing original content and developing proprietary software to support their audience.

Launch is slated for December 9 at 13:30 UTC. Also flying aboard will be a selection of postcards on behalf of Blue Origins’ Club for the Future foundation, bringing the postcards to space from students interested in STEM careers.

FMI: www.blueorigin.com