Blue Origin to launch its veteran employee into space in 20th mission on March 29

Jeff Bezos owned aerospace company Blue Origin is set for another mission wherein it plans to launch one of its employees into space. Targeted for March 29, the mission would see Gary Lai, the chief architect of the New Shepard (NS) system, accompany five other passengers in the forthcoming sub-orbital endeavour. In an announcement on March 21, Blue Origin said that Lai would be riding the spacecraft which he has spent 18 years developing and testing. 

The mission named NS-20 was initially scheduled for March 23 but was postponed by a week for further testing. Accompanying Lai in his space trip would be Marty Allen, Pete Davidson, husband and wife duo Sharon and Marc Hagle, Jim Kitchen, and Dr George Nield, the company said. 

(Image: Blue Origin)

Who is Gary Lai?

Lai currently serves as the Senior Director and Chief Architect of New Shepard and is responsible for all next-generation designs, upgrades, and new product development. The engineer was among the first 20 employees after he joined Blue Origin in 2004, the company revealed. A former student of astrophysicist Carl Sagan, Lai previously held the positions such as Senior Director of Design Engineering, System Architect, Crew Capsule Element Lead, Lead Systems Engineer and even NASA Commercial Crew Development Program Manager. 

It is worth mentioning that Lai would be replacing comedian, actor and "Saturday Night Live" star Pete Davidson. Davidson was originally part of the six-membered crew and would have been the third celebrity to climb aboard a Blue Origin capsule for the 10-minute flight. 

Meet the other crew members

Also boarding the New Shepard rocket is an angel investor and former CEO of California Closet Company, Marty Allen. Other members include the husband and wife duo, Sharon and Marc Hagle. Sharon is known for establishing SpaceKids Global in 2015, which is a nonprofit organisation that aims to inspire students to excel in STEAM+ education with a focus on empowering young girls. 

Marc, on the other hand, is the President and CEO of Tricor International and is known for his philanthropic efforts in arts, sciences, health, and education-related charities. The crew also includes Jim Kitchen, who is a teacher, entrepreneur, and world explorer. The sixth member is Dr George Nield, the president of Commercial Space Technologies, LLC, which he founded with an aim to promote commercial space activities.

(Image: @BlueOrigin/Twitter)