Blue Origin Launches 6 to Suborbital Space
Science

Blue Origin Launches 6 to Suborbital Space

Space.com2h ago
3 min read
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Key Facts

  • Blue Origin is scheduled to launch six people to suborbital space on Thursday, January 22.
  • The space tourism mission will be broadcast live, allowing global public access to the launch event.
  • This launch continues Blue Origin's pattern of regular commercial spaceflight missions.
  • Suborbital flights offer passengers several minutes of weightlessness and views of Earth from space.
  • The mission represents a significant milestone in the growing commercial space tourism industry.

A New Era of Space Tourism

Blue Origin is preparing for its next major milestone in commercial spaceflight, scheduled for January 22. The company will launch six private astronauts on a suborbital journey, marking another step in making space accessible to civilians.

The mission represents a significant moment for the space tourism industry, demonstrating the growing capability of commercial space companies to regularly transport humans beyond Earth's atmosphere. This launch continues the momentum of private space exploration.

For those unable to witness the launch in person, the entire event will be accessible through a live broadcast. This transparency allows the public to share in the excitement of human spaceflight and witness the technological achievements of modern aerospace engineering.

Mission Details

The upcoming launch will carry six individuals on a suborbital trajectory aboard a Blue Origin vehicle. Suborbital flights offer passengers several minutes of weightlessness and a view of Earth from space before returning to the surface.

This mission continues Blue Origin's established pattern of regular space tourism flights. Each mission builds upon the company's experience and technical capabilities, refining the process of human spaceflight for commercial purposes.

Key aspects of the mission include:

  • Launch date: Thursday, January 22
  • Vehicle: Blue Origin suborbital rocket
  • Passenger count: Six private astronauts
  • Flight type: Suborbital space tourism mission

"Blue Origin will launch six people to the final frontier on Thursday (Jan. 22), and you can watch the space tourism mission live."

— Mission Announcement

Public Access & Viewing

Blue Origin has made the mission accessible to the global public through a live broadcast. This approach allows space enthusiasts worldwide to witness the launch in real-time, regardless of their physical location.

The decision to stream the event live reflects the company's commitment to transparency and public engagement. By opening the launch to a broad audience, Blue Origin helps demystify space travel and inspires interest in science and technology fields.

Blue Origin will launch six people to the final frontier on Thursday (Jan. 22), and you can watch the space tourism mission live.

The live stream will provide viewers with professional coverage of the launch, including countdown sequences, launch footage, and post-flight activities. This comprehensive coverage ensures that the public can experience the excitement of spaceflight from start to finish.

The Growing Space Economy

This launch represents more than just a single mission—it symbolizes the expanding commercial space sector. As companies like Blue Origin conduct regular flights, the infrastructure and regulatory frameworks for space tourism continue to mature.

The increasing frequency of private space launches indicates a shift in how humanity approaches space exploration. What was once the exclusive domain of government agencies is now becoming an accessible frontier for private citizens and commercial enterprises.

Each successful mission contributes valuable data and experience that helps improve safety protocols, vehicle design, and operational procedures for future flights. This iterative improvement process is essential for the long-term sustainability of commercial space travel.

Looking Forward

The January 22 launch serves as a benchmark for commercial spaceflight capabilities. As Blue Origin and other companies continue their missions, the vision of regular human access to space becomes increasingly tangible.

This mission's success will likely influence future developments in the space tourism industry, potentially affecting ticket pricing, flight frequency, and the types of experiences offered to passengers. The industry continues to evolve rapidly, with each launch pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

For observers and potential future travelers, this launch offers a glimpse into the future of human space exploration—a future where the final frontier becomes increasingly accessible to those willing to venture beyond our planet.

#Private Spaceflight#Space Exploration

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Instagram is testing a new definition of 'friends'
Technology

Instagram is testing a new definition of 'friends'

Instagram is testing switching "following" counts to "friends" on user profiles. Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images Instagram is testing out replacing "following" counts with "friends" counts. What's a friend, according to Instagram? Glad you asked. It's someone who follows you back. Meta confirmed to Business Insider that it is running a "small global test" of the change. Friends … followers … where is the line? Instagram is testing out new tweaks that emphasize friends. It also has a new definition of friends: People who mutually follow each other. The Instagram test involves changing a user's "following" count on a profile to a "friends" count. That means if you follow thousands of people, but maybe only a few hundred of those people follow you back, that'll show up as your "friends" count. For those of you who care about those precious follower-to-following ratios, get ready for a potentially even more telling public ratio: How many of those Instagram followers are friends? Instagram is quietly running this as a "small global test," a Meta spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider, adding that the platform is trying to understand how users respond to seeing more content from friends in the app. "Friends are central to the Instagram experience, so we're exploring ways to make these connections more visible and meaningful," a Meta spokesperson said. "We're running a small test to highlight Friends throughout Instagram." As part of the test, Meta is also labeling some content in the feed as "friends" instead of "posts" or "following." Is Instagram for friends anymore? As influencers, brands, and now AI slop have invaded Instagram's feed, it's felt less and less like a space to share content with your friends. That's part of the reason Instagram has doubled down on its "Close Friends" features over the years, focused on direct messaging (where friends and family often share content), and added more friend-focused features. For instance, Instagram rolled out a feature called "Blend," which lets you and a friend share a mutual feed of reels. Last year, Instagram also introduced features like a social mapping experience similar to Snapchat's map, as well as a "Friends" feed in the reels tab, where you can see content your friends (by Instagram's definition) are engaging with. Instagram's top executive, Adam Mosseri, said in an August post that he wants Instagram to be somewhere where users can "actually engage with and connect with the people that you care about." Read the original article on Business Insider

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