First Kazakhstani woman to travel to space as a tourist

Kazakhstani entrepreneur Danna Karagussova will be the first woman from the country to travel to space as a tourist. She has joined the crew of the New Shepard suborbital launch vehicle for its 36th mission, which will be operated by Blue Origin in the near future.

According to the company’s press service, the crew also includes businessman Jeff Elgin, electrical engineer Dr. Clint Kelly III, serial entrepreneur and explorer Aaron Newman, Ukrainian businessman Vitalii Ostrovsky, and a crew member who asked for anonymity until the flight is completed.

«The future of humanity is connected with space»

«The future of humanity is connected with space. By exploring new horizons, we not only advance technology but also expand our own capabilities. For me, Mission NS-36 with Blue Origin is part of a research project and a step toward a dream I have been working on for many years,» Karagussova wrote on Instagram.

Who is Danna Karagussova

According to the crew member descriptions, Karagussova has worked for over 25 years in media, distribution, and events. She is also a co-founder of Portals, a multimodal platform providing digital self-regulation tools that combine art and science.

Karagussova is also known as a mountaineer, having summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Elbrus, viewing such climbs as a measure to challenge inner strength. Currently, she looks to space — not as entertainment, but as a transformative frontier where human evolution begins within each of us and extends beyond our world.

The flight that will make history

The NS-36 mission will be the 15th human flight for the New Shepard program. In total, Blue Origin has launched 75 people into space during the project, including five repeat passengers.

The launch date will be announced later. The broadcast is expected to be available on BlueOrigin.com and on social media, including YouTube.

Previously, Kursiv.media reported that the first-ever Kazakhstani female crew was «launched.» Not into space yet, but on a ground module simulating spaceflight conditions. The SANA-1 experiment will last 10 days.