Technologies

Blue Origin’s Next Space Launch Is Saturday: Here’s How to Stream and What to Know

NS-32 marks the 32nd mission for Blue Origin and the 12th human flight for the New Shepard program.

Blue Origin has been on a roll in 2025 with multiple successful launches already, and its next one is coming up on Saturday. The NS-32 mission will take six people into suborbital space for a quick jaunt before returning to Earth. It’s the third such New Shepard mission in 2025 so far and the 32nd in total. The prior launch famously included an all-female crew featuring pop star Katy Perry, TV personality Gayle King and journalist Lauren Sanchez.

This mission is set to launch from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One location in West Texas at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday. Like the prior New Shepard missions, NS-32 will take its six crew members above the Kármán line — the internationally recognized boundary between Earth and space — to suborbital space for about 11 minutes before landing back on Earth.

During the mission, the crew will experience the weightlessness of space while also getting an excellent view of the Earth.

How to watch the NS-32 launch

The launch will be webcast on Blue Origin’s website with coverage starting 30 minutes before the launch, so 9 a.m. ET. If this launch coverage is the same as previous ones, the webcast will cover the launch itself, the entire flight and the landing. Prior launches also included interviews with the crew to get their initial thoughts on going to space, which we expect will be included with the NS-32 webcast.

Read more: SpaceX Loses Contact With Starship in Third Test Flight Failure in a Row

If you miss the launch, you can still watch it later. The company posts all of its previous NS missions on its YouTube channel, typically within the same day as the launch.

What rocket is NS-32 using?

NS-32 will use the New Shepard rocket, like every other NS mission. This rocket is known for being fully reusable, with a small capsule at the top with room for all six passengers. Blue Origin says the vehicle is fully autonomous. It will launch, fly and eventually land without pilots, which is why none of the NS missions feature a human pilot.

The rocket saw its first crewed launch in 2021 when Jeff Bezos famously took part in the flight.

Who is the NS-32 crew?

Typically, Blue Origin crews have featured people from all walks of life, including teachers, business people, and celebrities. The NS-32 crew is no different, although it lacks the celebrity flair of the prior NS-31 mission. The crew includes:

Paul Jeris

Jeris is a real estate developer and entrepreneur. He has visited 149 countries and is looking to add space to his list of places visited.

Jesse Williams

Williams is a Canadian entrepreneur and the CEO of Car History Group. He has climbed six of the seven highest peaks on Earth.

Aymette (Amy) Medina Jorge

Jorge is a high school and middle school teacher who focuses on STEM subjects. She was the 2023 AIAA and Challenger Center Trailblazing STEM Educator Award winner.

Dr. Gretchen Green

Green is a radiologist specializing in women’s imaging and has over 20 years of experience. Among her many accolades, she now serves on the US Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation Board.

Jaime Alemán

Alemán is a Panamanian attorney and businessman who served as ambassador to the US. He also serves on the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, Duke Law School’s Board of Visitors and Woodrow Wilson’s Latin America Board. Alemán will also be the first person to visit all 193 UN-recognized countries, the North and South Poles and space.

Mark Rocket

The aptly named Rocket (he legally changed his name) is an entrepreneur from New Zealand. He serves as CEO of Kea Aerospace and president of Aerospace New Zealand, furthering the country’s interests in aerospace.

Technologies

The Most Exciting Video Game Rumors and Leaks Ahead of 2026

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Nod (off)
Answer: DOZE

5A clue: Naval submarine in W.W. II
Answer: UBOAT

7A clue: Tricky thing to do on a busy highway
Answer: MERGE

8A clue: Heat-resistant glassware for cooking
Answer: PYREX

9A clue: Put into groups
Answer: SORT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Break up with
Answer: DUMP

2D clue: Falls in line, so to speak
Answer: OBEYS

3D clue: Legendary vigilante who cuts a «Z» with his sword
Answer: ZORRO

4D clue: Rarin’ to go
Answer: EAGER

6D clue: Common reminder for an upcoming appointment
Answer: TEXT

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

You Can Watch an Exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash Scene on TikTok Right Now

Disney and TikTok partner on an immersive content hub for James Cameron’s latest movie about the alien Na’vi.

If you’re not quite ready to head to the theater to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, an exclusive scene preview might sell you on the visual spectacle. As part of a new collaboration with the social media giant, Disney is posting snippets of its new movie to its TikTok account.

This scene isn’t part of any trailer and won’t be posted to other social media accounts, making TikTok the only place you can view it — unless you buy a movie ticket. A first look at the new movie’s scenes isn’t the only Avatar-related bonus on the social media platform right now, either. TikTok has partnered with the house of mouse to bring an entire «immersive content hub» to the app.

A special section of TikTok includes quizzes and educational videos that explore the alien world of Pandora shown off in the movies. On TikTok, you can take a personality quiz to find out what Na’vi clan you most closely align with and unlock a special profile picture border to use on your account.

Science and fiction blend together with a series of videos from real doctors who explain the basis for some of Avatar’s world-building. If you want to learn about exoplanets or how realistic the anatomy of the movie’s alien animals is, these videos will feed your brain while still providing entertainment value.

Perhaps the most enticing part of Disney’s latest social media collaboration is the opportunity for fans to win prizes and trips. TikTok creators who make edits with the #TikTokAvatarContest hashtag are entered into a competition to win Avatar merchandise. The biggest winners will be able to take a trip to visual effects studio Wētā Workshop in New Zealand or visit Avatar director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in director Cameron’s cinematic passion project. While the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Cameron didn’t release another entry in the franchise until 2022. In total, there is a five-movie arc planned for the indigo alien Na’vi on the moon of Pandora.

The Avatar movies are known for pushing the boundaries of CGI visual effects in cinema. They are also historically big winners at the box office: the original Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion across its theatrical releases. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing Avengers: Endgame. You can stream those movies on Disney Plus.

It remains to be seen whether Avatar: Fire and Ash will financially live up to its predecessors. The film currently has mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.