Blue Origin and One805 Partner for a Truly Unique Experience

“It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth,” said Neil Armstrong shortly after the Apollo 11 Mission on July 20, 1969. “I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.”

Armstrong and many other astronauts discuss experiencing a cognitive shift after returning from space, a phenomenon that author Frank White coined as “The Overview Effect.” Simply put, it’s that gut-level realization that we’re all in this together, living on a tiny blue dot, and it changes how people think about life, the planet, and humanity as a whole. 

It’s hard to imagine that just 55 years after the moon landing, space companies like Blue Origin, led by Jeff Bezos, would be sending civilians to the brink of space, many of whom return claiming to have experienced “The Overview Effect.” 

Now, you can experience it for yourself as Blue Origin has partnered with Santa Barbara nonprofit One805 to offer a seat on their New Shepard low orbit spacecraft. “You spend all that money going to space; why not spend it on charity?” asked One805 co-founder & COO, Richard Weston-Smith who sees the partnership as a unique opportunity to raise money for One805.

The seat winner will be announced at their annual One805 festival this September, where there will also be a New Shepard capsule. The proceeds from the seat sale will help One805 in its mission to provide mental health care to first responders. Weston-Smith says that fundraisers like this enable the organization to continue providing first responders with mental health services, as well as access to necessary equipment and advanced technology.

The partnership draws a direct link between advancements in space technology – particularly low earth orbit technology and satellites – and the increasing dependence of first responders on this technology for tasks like predicting extreme weather and using imaging systems.

A flight aboard New Shepard lasts just 12 minutes, with roughly three of those spent past the Kármán Line – the recognized boundary between Earth and space. Powered by liquid hydrogen, New Shepard produces virtually no carbon emissions and is designed for reuse, making it a more sustainable option for space travel. 

When Blue Origin approached One805 with the opportunity, Weston-Smith said he viewed it as a unique way to raise money. “We’ve always, as an organization, sought big – and have been otherwise unconventional and a bit scrappy and done things differently,” he shared. “And I think this is just an example of how we can do things differently to benefit the first responders we serve.” 

He said that in the past, the organization has been accused of being “exclusive” in terms of how they approach funding. “And, you know, I think that, yeah, we could do bake sales, I guess, but it would take an awful lot of bake sales to raise the sort of money that we’ve been able to raise.”

Weston-Smith said that One805 prefers to be funded “at least” three years in advance so they can promise first responders adequate access to mental health services without worrying about their funding. “And you know, we want to create a world where all the first responders in Santa Barbara County have access to mental wellness counseling whenever they need it,” he mused. 

On April 14, Blue Origin completed its 31st mission, sending its 58th passenger up with a historic all-female crew aboard. The lineup included research scientist Amanda Nguyen, pop star Katy Perry, broadcast journalist Gayle King, aerospace engineer and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and television journalist Lauren Sánchez – who is also Jeff Bezos’ fiancée. 

It was a flight that stirred some controversy, primarily among those critical of the wealthy having exclusive access to this space. But Weston-Smith sees it differently. To him, the participation of the rich isn’t about exclusivity – it’s about investment. He said their involvement helps fund the development of spaceflight technology, ultimately paving the way for broader access so that one day, everyone has the opportunity to experience it.

“This is a unique opportunity to do something that is extraordinary if you can afford to do that,” said Weston-Smith. “And to benefit the first responders in our hometown at the same time. So that’s really the unique opportunity here.”