Blue Origin took one other step towards sub-orbital area tourism flights on Wednesday with the profitable completion of its fifteenth rocket launch and touchdown from its spaceport in Texas.
Notably, this was the primary mission to see personnel contained in the capsule previous to launch — and in addition after the capsule landed — as a part of an train to simulate astronaut actions and operations for its upcoming tourism service. The three crew members weren’t on board the capsule throughout the precise flight.
In accordance with Blue Origin, the rehearsal allowed it to conduct a sequence of checks from contained in the capsule, “together with a comms verify with the Capsule Communicator, procedures for getting into and exiting the capsule, and pre-launch preparations inside the capsule,” including, “Following the crew capsule touchdown, the astronauts rehearsed post-flight procedures, hatch opening, and exiting the capsule.”
Blue Origin’s tourism flights will take paying passengers to the sting of area round 62 miles up, providing unbelievable views of Earth and past, in addition to a quick spell of weightlessness, earlier than returning to base. Virgin Galactic can be planning sub-orbital flights and lately unveiled a shiny new area car for its rides, whereas SpaceX is working to supply orbital experiences.
Blue Origin tweeted the principle highlights of Wednesday’s mission, which began with the launch of its New Shepard rocket.
The fifteenth profitable launch of #NewShepard and the second of this booster and capsule. pic.twitter.com/BiTYJNPaxE
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 14, 2021
It additionally confirmed off the view from contained in the capsule. And no, that’s not a crew member you may see within the seat. It’s in actual fact a model that Blue Origin makes use of to provide some scale to capsule’s giant home windows, presumably as a part of advertising efforts to promote the expertise to future prospects.
Fairly a view in the present day ????. pic.twitter.com/boUIfJXjCa
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 14, 2021
Subsequent up, we see the reusable New Shepard booster coming in to land.
By no means will get previous. Second consecutive touchdown for this explicit booster. #NewShepard pic.twitter.com/Lia4GDX9yO
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 14, 2021
And at last, about 10 minutes after launch, we see the capsule, slowed by three giant parachutes, floating again to Earth earlier than hitting the bottom with a mild bump.
A stupendous touchdown again within the West Texas desert in the present day. pic.twitter.com/ii3LJriSFc
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 14, 2021
After touchdown, the three crew members hopped aboard the capsule for the second time, earlier than exiting with completely satisfied high-fives as in the event that they’d simply been on the trip of a lifetime (when in actual fact they’d simply pushed from the spaceport).
We will’t await future astronauts to expertise stepping out of the capsule after finishing their journey to area and again. pic.twitter.com/OhYUOPVvjC
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 15, 2021
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