Blue Origin’s NS-38 mission now includes two women. The company announced on Tuesday that Dr. Laura Stiles, Blue Origin’s Director of New Shepard Launch Operations, will fly on the mission replacing Andrew Yaffe who’s no longer part of the crew due to an illness. Yaffe’s seat has been reserved for a future mission.
“Blue Origin today announced that one of our NS-38 crew members is no longer able to fly due to illness and will fly on a future mission. Laura joins the previously announced crew, which includes Tim Drexler, Dr. Linda Edwards, Alain Fernandez, Alberto Gutiérrez, and Jim Hendren,” an update from Blue Origin read.
Mission NS-38 Update: One of our crew members is no longer able to fly due to illness; he will join a future mission. Our new sixth crew member will be Dr. Laura Stiles, Blue Origin’s Director of New Shepard Launch Operations. The mission is still slated for Thursday, January 22,… pic.twitter.com/T53tfjClIs
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 20, 2026
The NS-38 mission is scheduled to launch at 7 pm IST [8:30 AM CST] from Blue Origin‘s Launch Site One in West Texas. It will be the company’s first crew mission of 2026 and 17th crew flight to date. As the name suggests, NS-38 is Blue Origin’s 38th overall mission.
Blue Origin’s new NS-38 mission member
Stiles joined Blue Origin in 2013 and she currently serves as the Director for the New Shepard Launch Operations and Training organization. According to Blue Origin, she has also worked in mechanical systems design, integrated vehicle test, launch operations, and astronaut training and she had filled multiple New Shepard launch crew roles.
She received a B.S. in Engineering Physics from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Aerospace Engineering Sciences in the Astrodynamics and Satellite Navigation focus area. She’s is also a skydiving instructor and holds two world records in large-formation skydiving.
Another woman in the crew is Linda Edwards – a retired obstetrician/gynecologist. She has travelled to over 40 countries and is an award-winning equestrian and a two-time breast cancer survivor.
Accompanying them are Timothy Drexler, former owner and CEO of Ace Asphalt and a certified aviator, Alain Fernandez – and international real estate developer and investor, Alberto Gutiérrez – an entrepreneur, technologist, and world traveler with footprints in over 100 countries across all seven continents, and Jim Hendren – retired US Air Force Colonel and former fighter pilot.
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