On Tuesday, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company successfully sent a rocket into space with experiments on board. This was the first launch since a previous crash over a year ago due to engine issues.

The New Shepard rocket successfully launched from West Texas, carrying a capsule filled with various tests. These tests were previously on the failed Blue Origin launch in September 2022. Neither of these flights had any passengers on board.

The capsule successfully reached the outer limits of the Earth’s atmosphere, allowing NASA and other experiments to experience several minutes of zero gravity. The capsule then descended back to the desert via parachute, following the rocket’s landing. The flight lasted for 10 minutes and reached a height of 66 miles (107 kilometers).

Last year’s unsuccessful launch resulted in the rocket deviating from its intended path shortly after takeoff. This triggered the activation of the escape system, which propelled the capsule away from the rocket. The capsule safely touched down, but the rocket crashed.

The issue was identified as a result of an excessively heated nozzle on the rocket engine that fractured. Modifications were implemented to the nozzles and combustion chambers.

For almost two decades, Blue Origin has been conducting launches from a distant location southeast of El Paso. In 2019, the company launched its initial NASA experiments and in 2021, its first group of passengers, which included Bezos and his brother. A few months later, a second crew, which featured “Star Trek” actor William Shatner, also took flight.

In total, Blue Origin has conducted six launches with a total of 31 passengers, alternating the 10-minute flights with research experiments.

Erika Wagner, the launch commentator, expressed enthusiasm for our upcoming crewed flight after conducting a comprehensive evaluation of today’s mission.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which is intended for orbital flights, has not yet been launched. The company plans to make its inaugural flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida sometime next year. The rocket is named after John Glenn, the first American to successfully orbit the Earth, while the New Shepard is named after Alan Shepard, the first American to go into space.

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Source: wral.com