Blue Origin‘s New Shepard rocket returned to space on its 24th flight from Launch Site One in West Texas after a year.
Triumphant Return: 33 Payloads Safely Delivered Near Space in 10-Minute Mission
The uncrewed mission launched on December 19, 2023, delivering 33 payloads near space. The RSS H G Wells space capsule launched at 10:42 am CST on the NS.9 rocket. The booster landed poweredly after reaching 347,208 ft (105,829 m) after separation. The capsule reached 347,601 ft (106,941 m) and safely parachuted to the desert surface, completing the mission in 10 minutes and 13 seconds.
The successful launch ended New Shepard’s grounding after September 12, 2022’s New Shepard 23 disaster. The rocket tilted when the main engine failed just over a minute into the flight. Abort system engaged, propelling uncrewed capsule clear. The RSS H G Wells landed successfully at 37,000 ft (11,278 m), but the booster crashed and was destroyed. The FAA conducted a six-month assessment and modified the BE-3 PM rocket engine to withstand high temperatures.
Blue Origin’s return to space exploration with the New Shepard is a major milestone after fixing the launch disaster. The successful mission restores trust in the New Shepard program and shows Blue Origin’s commitment to space vehicle safety and reliability.
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Advancing Space Exploration with Diverse Payloads and Commitment to Scientific Innovation
Blue Origin’s 33 research and educational payloads on the NS-24 mission demonstrate its commitment to suborbital spaceflight science. The company’s focus on payload diversity from scientific experiments to educational programs underlines its space accessibility and utilization goal.
The New Shepard’s latest mission advances suborbital spaceflight research and opens new scientific avenues. Blue Origin continues to improve its space technologies and operations, and the successful return to flight is a great step toward increasing human activity beyond Earth.
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