{{Short description|First crewed flight of New Shepard (2021)}} {{redirect|NS-16|other uses|NS16 (disambiguation)}} {{Use American English|date=December 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox spaceflight | name = Blue Origin NS-16 | image = | image_caption = | image_size = 300px | mission_type = Sub-orbital human spaceflight | operator = Blue Origin | mission_duration = 10 minutes, 10 seconds | suborbital_apogee = {{cvt|107|km}} | spacecraft = RSS ''First Step'' | manufacturer = Blue Origin | crew_size = 4 | crew_members = {{Unbulleted list|Jeff Bezos|Mark Bezos|Wally Funk|Oliver Daemen}} | launch_date = {{ltime|July 20, 2021|13|11|00|CDT|DMY|net=no}} | launch_rocket = New Shepard (NS4) | launch_site = Corn Ranch, LS-1 | launch_contractor = Blue Origin | landing_date = {{ltime|July 20, 2021|13|21|00|CDT|DMY|unlink=yes|net=no}} | landing_site = Corn Ranch | insignia = NS-16 logo.png | insignia_caption = Blue Origin NS-16 mission patch | insignia_alt = A ground-level view looking up towards a launch vehicle landing | insignia_size = 200px | crew_photo = | crew_photo_caption = | crew_photo_size = 300px | programme = '''New Shepard flights''' | previous_mission = Blue Origin NS-15 | next_mission = Blue Origin NS-17 }}
'''Blue Origin NS-16''' was a sub-orbital spaceflight mission operated by Blue Origin which flew on 20 July 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/20/22582735/blue-origin-jeff-bezos-space-launch-landing|title=Blue Origin successfully sends Jeff Bezos and three others to space and back|publisher=The Verge|date=20 July 2021|access-date=20 July 2021}}</ref> The mission was the sixteenth flight of the company's New Shepard integrated launch vehicle and spacecraft, and its first flight with humans aboard. It carried into space American billionaire and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, pilot and Mercury 13 member Wally Funk, and Dutch student Oliver Daemen. The flight commenced from Blue Origin's Corn Ranch sub-orbital launch site in West Texas aboard the third flight of New Shepard booster NS4 and the spacecraft RSS ''First Step'', both having previously flown on NS-14 and NS-15 earlier in the year.<ref name=sn20210720/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Burghardt|first=Thomas|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/01/blue-origin-test-upgrades-ns-14/|title=Blue Origin tests New Shepard capsule upgrades on NS-14 mission|publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com |date=14 January 2021|access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Marcia|url=https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/dress-rehearsal-puts-blue-origin-closer-to-human-spaceflight/|title=Dress Rehearsal Puts Blue Origin Closer to Human Spaceflight|publisher=Space Policy Online|date=14 April 2021|access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref>
Blue Origin NS-16 was the first human spaceflight from the U.S. state of Texas. Daemen, aged 18, and Funk, aged 82, became the youngest and oldest people to travel to space, respectively, until William Shatner took the record of oldest in space at age 90 on NS-18.<ref name=sn20210720>{{cite news|url=https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-launches-bezos-on-first-crewed-new-shepard-flight/|title=Blue Origin launches Bezos on first crewed New Shepard flight|last=Foust|first=Jeff|publisher=SpaceNews|date=20 July 2021|access-date=20 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Etherington|first=Darrell|url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/15/blue-origins-final-passenger-for-its-first-human-spaceflight-will-be-18-year-old-oliver-daemen/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHzeLGuU2ztCGDGmpIieqBhZNI13QYdt26K1QwlqAmxtbTIF077Y7YH-Tsr1cRqbc80cZdEtQv7DrKotb2t5NDrYZnJk60vqQ-BJXGDFsPgbwGzvbTc8o8FZoqjox5W5Aaf6U9Nuif-nEJkotpqqFJZM-opxJ95dsiHebcLwgkmY|title=Blue Origin's final passenger for its first human spaceflight will be 18-year-old Oliver Daemen|publisher=TechCrunch|date=15 July 2021|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref> The flight was approximately 10 minutes, and crossed the Kármán line. The mission became the first fully automated flight with civilian passengers,<ref>{{cite web |last=Howell|first=Elizabeth|url=https://www.space.com/blue-origin-first-astronaut-launch-completely-automated|title=Blue Origin launch will be the 1st fully automated flight with civilian astronauts: report |publisher=Space.com|date=18 July 2021|access-date=20 July 2021}}</ref> as well as the first multi-person, internationally recognized sub-orbital spaceflight.
== Passengers == Four passengers flew on Blue Origin NS-16.<ref name=sn20210720/><ref name="space-20210701">{{cite web|last=Bartels|first=Meghan|url=https://www.space.com/blue-origin-launching-mercury-13-aviator-wally-funk-1st-crewed-flight|title=Blue Origin will fly female aviator Wally Funk, one of the Mercury 13, on 1st crewed launch|publisher=Space.com|date=1 July 2021|access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref> Originally, the anonymous winner (later revealed as Justin Sun)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spacenews.com/crypto-entrepreneur-to-go-to-space-on-new-shepard/|title=Crypto entrepreneur to go to space on New Shepard|date=23 December 2021}}</ref> of a US$28 million auction held by Blue Origin in support of its Club for the Future program was to be the fourth person on RSS ''First Step''.<ref name="space-20210701"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Sheetz |first=Michael|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/12/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-auctions-spaceflight-seat-for-28-million.html|title=Blue Origin auctions seat on first spaceflight with Jeff Bezos for $28 million|publisher=CNBC|date=12 June 2021|access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref> However, the anonymous winner had unspecified scheduling conflicts and was re-manifested for a future New Shepard flight; Oliver Daemen took the vacated position.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Roulette|first1=Joey|title=Blue Origin picks teen to fly to space after anonymous auction winner reschedules |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/15/22578356/blue-origin-new-shepard-teen-jeff-bezos-space-anonymous-auction|publisher=The Verge|access-date=15 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715145620/https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/15/22578356/blue-origin-new-shepard-teen-jeff-bezos-space-anonymous-auction|archive-date=15 July 2021|date=15 July 2021 |quote=Daemen's seat had been reserved for the winner of a $28 million auction that closed last month, but that winner remains anonymous and "has chosen to fly on a future New Shepard mission due to scheduling conflicts", a news release said.|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Sheetz|first1=Michael|title=Blue Origin reveals 18-year-old physics student will fly with Jeff Bezos to space next week |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/15/blue-origin-reveals-oliver-daemen-flying-to-space-with-jeff-bezos.html|publisher=CNBC|access-date=15 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715145618/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/15/blue-origin-reveals-oliver-daemen-flying-to-space-with-jeff-bezos.html|archive-date=15 July 2021|date=15 July 2021|quote=The young physics student takes the place of the auction winner, who Blue Origin said could not fly on the mission "due to scheduling conflicts". Blue Origin said the auction winner "has chosen to fly on a future New Shepard mission".|url-status=live}}</ref> Oliver's father Joes Daemen, the CEO of private equity firm Somerset Capital Partners, paid for the fourth seat; Joes had come second in the auction for the seat, so after the auction winner (Justin Sun) did not take the seat, it was passed onto Joes, who paid for the seat and gave it to Oliver.<ref>{{cite web |title=Meet Oliver Daemen, the Dutch teenager who will fly to space with Jeff Bezos after his hedge fund dad paid millions for the ticket |url=https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/meet-oliver-daemen-the-dutch-teenager-who-will-fly-to-space-with-jeff-bezos-after-his-hedge-fund-dad-paid-millions-for-the-ticket/articleshow/84459621.cms|publisher=Business Insider|access-date=20 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Todisco|first1=Eric |title=Oliver Daemen: 5 Things To Know About The 18-Year-Old Who Went To Space With Jeff Bezos|url=https://hollywoodlife.com/feature/who-is-oliver-daemen-4480442/|publisher=Hollywood Life|access-date=20 July 2021|date=20 July 2021}}</ref>
{{Spaceflight crew | crew = | terminology = Passenger
| position1 = Tourist | crew1_up = {{Flagicon|USA}} Jeff Bezos | flights1_up = First
| position2 = Tourist | crew2_up = {{Flagicon|USA}} Mark Bezos | flights2_up = First
| position3 = Tourist | crew3_up = {{Flagicon|USA}} Wally Funk | flights3_up = First
| position4 = Tourist | crew4_up = {{Flagicon|NED}} Oliver Daemen<ref>[https://www.ad.nl/wetenschap/nederlander-oliver-18-mag-met-rijkste-man-bezos-mee-op-ruimtevlucht-wordt-jongste-astronaut-ooit-br~ac59e564/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F Nederlander Oliver (18) mag met rijkste man Bezos mee op ruimtevlucht, wordt jongste astronaut ooit]</ref> | flights4_up = First
| notes = }}
== References == {{Portal|Spaceflight}} {{Reflist|30em}}
{{Blue Origin}}
Category:Suborbital space tourism flights Category:2021 in spaceflight Category:Test spaceflights Category:Aviation history of the United States Category:Suborbital human spaceflights Category:2021 in Texas Category:2021 in aviation Category:July 2021 in the United States Category:New Shepard human spaceflights