What Will It Be Like to Fly in a Blue Origin Spaceship?

The engineer behind the vessels recently spoke about the future of the company.

learn more about Nina Zipkin

By Nina Zipkin

Blue Origin

Like fellow moguls Elon Musk and Richard Branson, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos hopes to send humans to Mars and beyond with his company Blue Origin. But first he has his eye on getting civilian passengers into Blue Origin's New Shepard spaceships in 2018 for suborbital journeys -- after trained astronauts test them out.

To that end, Bezos has a former NASA engineer named Nicholas Patrick overseeing development of the vessels as the company's human integration architect.

Passengers interested in one of Blue Origin's future suborbital flights can expect to experience a brisk 11-minute journey, complete with up to three G's of acceleration and roughly four minutes of weightlessness, GeekWire reports.

Related: Blue Origin Successfully Tests Capsule Safety, Lands Booster

Patrick recently spoke at an Astronomy on Tap event at the Peddler Brewing Company in Seattle, where he discussed some of the details that he and the Blue Origin team are working to determine.

"Obviously, everybody's goal is to get this price down a long way. We're not going to get millions of people living and working in space by charging a quarter of a million dollars or $100,000 just for a suborbital flight," Patrick said. "We need to get that cost down to thousands or even hundreds of dollars eventually. That way we can afford to send a lot of people up there, which is when the space-based economy will really take off."

Related: Jeff Bezos's Space Startup Blue Origin Soars Into the Reusable Rocket Race

Patrick said that the company is developing a safety training program that would take place over the course of several days, rather than weeks or years, like the ones career astronauts have to complete. But unlike the professionals, New Shephard passengers will only have to wear flight suits, not heavy space suits.

"It's simpler, it's easier and it's more comfortable," Patrick said. "It will make for a better experience. And we're not going to spend a long time in orbit where we can't come back immediately. We know where (sic) we're coming back. It's 11 minutes after we launch."

For a clearer sense of Blue Origin's plans, check out some concept art in the video below.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Business News

I Live on a Cruise Ship for Half of the Year. Look Inside My 336-Square-Foot Cabin with Wraparound Balcony.

I live on a cruise ship with my husband, who works on it, for six months out of the year. Life at "home" can be tight. Here's what it's really like living on a cruise ship.

Thought Leaders

The Collapse of Credit Suisse: A Cautionary Tale of Resistance to Hybrid Work

This cautionary tale serves as a reminder for business leaders to adapt to the changing world of work and prioritize their workforce's needs and preferences.

Business Solutions

Learn to Build a ChatGPT Bot for Only $30

If you want to see what AI can do for your business, grab this course bundle today.

Business News

These Are the Most and Least Affordable Places to Retire in The U.S.

The Northeast and West Coast are the least affordable, while areas in the Mountain State region tend to be ideal for retirees on a budget.

Health & Wellness

5 Essential Steps to Expand Your Vision and Start Living Your Dream Life

It's time to break free from your comfort zone and expand your vision. When you refuse to settle for a mediocre life, you can start building a life you love.