Blue Origin, the space company of billionaire Jeff Bezos, reaffirmed its commitment to boosting space tourism by launching a new New Shepard rocket into space, carrying a six-member crew. The successful launch took place yesterday from West Texas, two years after the company's last manned space trip. The short trip also included the first American astronaut candidate of color since the 1960s.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Ed Dwight, who at the age of 90 years and eight months traveled to space with Blue Origin.
Dwight and the other passengers entered the crew capsule, which sits atop the New Shepard and launched from Blue Origin's facility near the remote town of Van Horn. The rocket separated from the capsule, which then ascended with the crew beyond the limits of atmosphere to 65 miles (105.7 km).
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After passengers had a magical experience looking down at the Earth from above, the capsule returned with the help of parachutes, covering a mission that lasted about 10 minutes. One of the capsule's three parachutes did not fully inflate, which the company will have to check before the next mission.
Dwight was the first black astronaut candidate selected in 1961 by former US President John Kennedy to train as an astronaut. However, he had never flown in space. As he stepped out of the capsule, he raised his fists in celebration of this feat at his age.
"I thought I really didn't need this in my life, but now I need it in my life," Dwight said in an interview upon landing.
“Star Trek” star William Shatner , who was 90 years and six months old at the time, also traveled with Blue Origin in 2021.
See also: Blue Origin – Jeff Bezos: New launch of New Shepard rocket after 2022 explosion
On yesterday's mission, passengers, including a businessman and a pilot, paid for their seats on the Blue Origin capsule, but focused nonprofit space- and a private foundation. The price of the ticket is not known.
Blue Origin: A spaceflight after two years
Yesterday's spaceflight came after a failure during a flight in September 2022. Fortunately, it was an uncrewed research mission at the time. The company noticed a structural failure in the rocket's engine nozzle.
The Federal Aviation Administration , which oversees launch site safety and commercial rocket, reviewed Blue Origin's investigation into the incident and ordered the company to take 21 corrective actions, including redesigning the engine.
The New Shepard rocket returned to Earth in December 2023 with an uncrewed mission. A Blue Origin spokesperson said the crew capsule is “designed to land safely with a parachute” and called the mission an overall success.
Continuing New Shepard missions has been a top priority for Blue Origin's new CEO, Dave Limp , and owner Jeff Bezos. Bezos is working to strengthen his space company's position against SpaceX Elon Musk's. In the summer of 2021, the company made its first flight, which Bezos himself participated in.
See also: Tom Hanks: I won't pay $28 million to go to space with Blue Origin
The launch of New Shepard on Sunday marked Blue Origin's seventh crewed mission.
Jeff Bezos' space company has big ambitions for the future of space tourism. The successful restart of flights with the rocket marks a major step in that direction. The company plans to increase the frequency of flights, making space tourism more accessible and frequent for those interested.
Blue Origin is also working on new technologies and larger vehicles, such as New Glenn, that will allow for longer and more distant missions. This could pave the way for tourist flights into Earth orbit, increasing the possibilities and experiences offered to passengers.
In addition, the company aims to create a sustainable and long-term presence in space, by developing infrastructure such as space stations and lunar bases. This infrastructure could support not only tourism but also scientific research and commercial exploitation of space.
Source: www.reuters.com
