Blue Origin launches sixth space tourism flight from West Texas

TEXAS, USA — Aerospace company Blue Origin launched its sixth space tourism flight from West Texas Thursday morning, marking some historic firsts and bringing along a popular Texas celebrity. 

The roughly 10-minute flight took six people into space via the New Shepard, Space.com reported. Among the passengers was Coby Cotton, co-founder of internet sensation sports group Dude Perfect from Frisco, Texas.

The trip also saw Sara Sabry become the first Egyptian in space and Mário Ferreira become the first person of Portuguese descent in space.

Mountain climber Vanessa O’Brien, telecommunications executive Steve Young, and Clint Kelly, whom Space.com described as a “technology pioneer,” joined Cotton, Sabry and Ferreira for the trip. 

All passengers saw Earth’s curve and felt weightless for a few minutes while aboard the New Shepard, which is “a reusable, fully automated rocket-capsule combo,” Space.com reported. The New Shepard brought it’s passengers down beneath parachutes in the Texas desert.