Blue Origin successfully launched and landed its eighth suborbital space tourism mission, NS-26, from its West Texas spaceport this morning.

The flight, which took off at 9:07 a.m. EDT, reached an altitude of 341,000 feet before returning to Earth at 9:19 a.m. EDT.

The six-person crew, including philanthropist Nicolina Elrick and NASA-funded researcher Rob Ferl, enjoyed a few minutes of weightlessness.

Ferl conducted plant growth experiments in microgravity, while 21-year-old Karsen Kitchen became the youngest woman to cross the Kármán line, Space.com has reported.

The mission was the 26th overall for New Shepard, Blue Origin’s reusable rocket, and followed a successful uncrewed flight in December 2023.

Written by B.C. Begley