Former NFL star Michael Strahan has already accomplished a lot on earth, he’s a Super Bowl champion, a seven-time Pro Bowler, he owns the single season NFL record for sacks, he was inducted in the New York Giants Ring of Honor, his number was retired by the team and he’s a television personality. He’s done a lot on this planet, so what’s next for the Giants great? Space, of course.
On Tuesday, Strahan announced that he will join five other passengers on Blue Origin’s next flight out of earth. From the launch to the landing the flight will be around 11 minutes long.
In his announcement, Strahan explained how this all came to be. He said:
“Blue Origin – they approached me and they asked if I wanted to be a crew member and without hesitation, I said ‘yes.’ I wanted to go to space!”
He trained with Kevin Sproge, who is Crew Member 7 and the chief trainer and reacted to his first time in the capsule. This is a bit different than the 14 years of training camp he did with the Giants.
The flight was originally scheduled for Dec. 9, but they are now targeting a Dec. 11 date, which will depend on technical matters and weather.
While he waits for the launch, Strahan is enjoying time at Astronaut Village.
He is also preparing by getting his suit fitted.
Crew members will spend about two or three minutes in microgravity, which according to NASA is “the condition in which people or objects appear to be weightless.”
Strahan covered Blue Origin’s first human spaceflight on July 20, which sent Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, Mercury 13 aviator Wally Funk and 18-year-old student Oliver Daemen to suborbital space.
Since covering that story, Strahan says he has been “enamored” with going to space.
Another person on the flight on the flight is daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard, Laura Shepard Churchley, who is the honorary guest alongside Strahan.
Space industry philanthropist Dylan Taylor, investor Evan Dick, and the first parent and child pair Lane Bess and Cameron Bess will also be on the flight and are paying for their spot. Blue Origin has not said how much a seat is on one of their flights, but competitor Virgin Galactic has seats going for $450,000.
A football will also be making the trip and afterward, will head to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Liftoff for the flight is expected from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One at 9:45 a.m. ET.
