Categories: Science & Environment

Hans Koenigsmann, who investigated all of SpaceX’s rocket failures, goes to space

Then she kind of asked me, “Do you think I could be an astronaut?” I mean, technically you don’t need your legs and so on. When I realized she was talking about New Shepard, I said, “Well, let me talk to the people I know.” So I called Audrey Powers (a Blue Origin engineer), and she told me she loved the project. On a very subtle, slippery slope, I thought about this and said, “Actually, I think I can do that too.”

The logic, to me, is that this doesn’t stop me from flying into orbit. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now because I’m obviously an at-risk person, so all kinds of things are going through my head, right? And then there’s SpaceX and Blue, and all kinds of things are going through my head there too. So I talked to a lot of people, and no one said, “No, you shouldn’t do that.” Yeah? That doesn’t mean it’s true. But I’ve also asked people I’m not friends with, and they’ve all said, “Well, why not?” This is how we found ourselves together on this mission.

Ars:WWhat were your main concerns about flying yourself? Was it security? Was it the fact that you worked for SpaceX for 20 years and were going to fly on Blue Origin?

Hans Koenigsmann: All of the above. I don’t know what they did for safety. I know what SpaceX has done for security. So I talked to a few people who worked there. And it all came down to the point that they would all fly New Shepard. But for me, the ultimate discriminator is letting your kids fly on it. And later, when we met with them, I asked a lot of technical questions on the security side, and I feel like they answered the majority in a thoughtful and correct way. So in terms of safety, I felt better after a while.

Ethan Davis

Ethan Davis – Science & Environment Journalist Reports on climate change, renewable energy, and space exploration

Recent Posts

All 5 ‘Stranger Things’ Runtimes for First Four Episodes Revealed

Rumors about the length of “Stranger Things” season 5 have been greatly exaggerated. Ross Duffer, who co-created the Netflix juggernaut…

15 seconds ago

One of Star Trek’s Most Remarkable Sci-Fi Concepts Could Become Reality

Marni Grossman/Paramount+ Throughout its nearly 60 years of movies and shows, "Star Trek" has featured high-tech communications devices that vaguely…

1 minute ago

Who is Priti Kinnar, the transgender candidate on the first list of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party?

Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has fielded Priti Kinnar, a transgender candidate from his Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) on the first…

3 minutes ago

Brian Branch suspended one game for conduct at end of Lions-Chiefs game

Lions safety Brian Branch has been suspended without pay for one game for his actions late in Sunday's loss to…

5 minutes ago

Elderly woman killed by flying solar panel in Brooklyn as nor’easter hits New York with high winds

A 76-year-old New York woman was killed Sunday when a 7-foot solar panel came loose due to high winds as…

7 minutes ago

The layoffs at the Department of Education affect offices responsible for overseeing special education and civil rights.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new round of layoffs at the Education Department is draining an agency that was hit hard…

8 minutes ago