ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s only been a week since a Winter Park couple boarded a Blue Origin rocket for a 10-minute flight in space.
Winter Park real estate developer Marc Hagle and Sharon Hagle, his wife, were a part of the fourth human flight for the New Shepard program, according to Blue Origin’s website.
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“Our dreams came true last week after waiting 15 years to go to space,” Sharon Hagle said.
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space tourism company launched the rocket on March 31. The NS-20 flight blasted off from Launch Site One in west Texas.
The couple joined News 6 in the studio Thursday to share their experience with the zero gravity sensation.
“I think one of the surprises was how long the zero gravity was because we’re used to doing it on zero g, where it’s 30 to 35 seconds,” Sharon Hagle said. “So, it was a long time to be in zero gravity.”
And the couple was more than prepared for the short journey. Marc Hagle said they have been preparing for a trip like this in the last 15 years with different training processes, including zero-gravity and microgravity training on the International Space Station as well as extra-vehicular training in Houston.
“We’ve done lots of things that have just been a lot of fun for us, in addition to a terrific training program that Blue Origin initiated,” he said.
Sharon Hagle said the training was well done, making the capsule on launch day feel like home.
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While Marc Hagle said the intense training proved no physical surprises for the experience in space, he said the emotional impact was unexpected.
“Emotionally, there’s really no words to describe it,” he said. “When you’re floating in space and you’re looking at the black darkness of space, compared to the small blue circle that Earth is within space, it has an impact on you personally.”
Sharon Hagle, who founded the nonprofit SpaceKids Global to inspire students to develop interest in STEAM fields, said she and her husband hope to get results for the future of space exploration.
“I think kids need to understand that. They can do it,” she said. “You can dream big. Use your imagination, be curious. And dreams can come true.”
Sharon Hagle said the her dreaming coming true was more than what she expected.
“It’s so surreal and the best part of the whole trip was having my husband Marc with me,” she said. “We have a lot to share for the rest of our lives.”