Blue Origin gains a repeat passenger, ‘Crypto Space Agency’ buys a seat to space on company’s 5th crewed spaceflight

While Richard Branson may have won the ‘billionaire space race‘ in one way, the fact that Virgin Galactic hasn’t flown since makes it clear that the real winners here are Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Looking toward Blue Origin’s fifth crewed spaceflight, the company will have a repeat passenger, as Evan Dick is set to take the joyride to space and back once again after his first flight late last year.

Evan Dick first flew to space in December of 2021, alongside Laura Shepard Churchley and Michael Strahan. This flight, he will be joined by five other passengers, including one whose seat was sponsored by the “Crypto Space Agency.”

NS-21 Passengers

Evan Dick previously flew to space in New Shepard on NS-19. He is an engineer and Managing Member of Dick Holdings, LLC. He is also a pilot who volunteers with Starfighters Aerospace.

Katya Echazarreta co-hosts the YouTube series Netflix IRL and is on the CBS show “Mission Unstoppable” as Electric Kat. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, she aims to represent and inspire women and minorities interested in STEM fields, having previously worked on Perseverance Rover and Europa Clipper. Her seat was sponsored by the non-profit Space for Humanity.

Hamish Harding is a record-holding aviator. Having dove to over 36,000 feet deep in a two-person sub and performed a record-breaking flight circumnavigation of Earth via the poles, a trip to space is the next logical step.

Jaison Robinson is an avid skydiver and an investor in real estate, as well as various technology and sports startups. Those familiar with Survivor may remember him from 2009’s Survivor: Samoa, where he finished as the eighth member of the jury.

Victor Vescovo is the co-founder of Insight Equity and an avid explorer. His various achievements include summiting the world’s seven peaks, repeatedly diving to the deepest point in the ocean, and skiing to the north and south poles.

World’s first “cryptonaut”

Victor Correa Hespanha is, as Blue Origin put it in the press release, the “world’s first cryptonaut.” He is a civil production engineer from Brazil who dreamed of becoming an astronaut, and “now, after buying his first NFT, he’s honored to be the second Brazilian to fly to space and the world’s first cryptonaut.” His seat was sponsored by the Crypto Space Agency, and its mission is “to converge the space industry’s technology with the innovation and financial power of the crypto markets to accelerate mankind’s off-world future.”

He was selected as the first Crypto Space Agency member to fly to space, and after his flight, objective one of four will be completed. The Crypto Space Agency’s next three objectives include seeking first contact with extraterrestrial life, protecting the planet from catastrophic asteroid impacts, and exploring off-world unknown opportunities.

Space Explored’s take

I wish the best for these six passengers! Blue Origin’s flights to space are clearly very moving experiences – especially if they are getting repeat passengers!

I would be remiss not to share my thoughts on the term “Cryptonaut,” though. It doesn’t bother me in the same way that the blanket term astronaut did. I just don’t see the value in the differentiation from Blue Origin’s other passengers. What is the actual thing that makes Victor a ‘cryptonaut’ specifically? Idk. The term doesn’t bother me, but you certainly won’t hear me using it.