Blue Origin to resume space tourism program after two-year hiatus
What's the story
Blue Origin, the space company owned by Jeff Bezos, is set to recommence its space tourism program after a nearly two-year hiatus.
The pause was due to a liftoff malfunction that led to an explosion during an uncrewed mission.
The New Shepard rocket, carrying a crew of private astronauts, is scheduled for launch tomorrow from Launch Site One in West Texas.
The launch window opens at 9:30am ET (7:00pm IST) as per Blue Origin's announcement.
Crew details
Historic NS-25 mission to carry a six-person crew
The upcoming New Shepard-25 (NS-25) mission will transport a six-person crew, comprising 90-year-old Ed Dwight.
Dwight was chosen as the first Black astronaut candidate in 1961 but never had the opportunity to journey into space.
The launch will be live-streamed on Blue Origin's official website, allowing viewers worldwide to witness this historic event conveniently.
This will be the company's first crewed mission since the New Shepard rocket was grounded due to a liftoff malfunction in 2022.
Incident recap
Details of the 2022 New Shepard malfunction
The suborbital tourism program was halted after an uncrewed New Shepard flight ended in flames, approximately a minute post-liftoff in September 2022.
The rocket's booster exploded mid-flight, and its capsule was abandoned while traveling at about 1,127km per hour and at a height of 29,000 feet.
At the time, New Shepard was carrying 36 payloads, over half of which were owned by NASA.
Post-incident measures
FAA's investigation and Blue Origin's corrective actions
Following the explosive liftoff, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded the rocket and initiated an investigation into the failed flight.
A year later, the FAA provided Blue Origin with a list of 21 corrective actions to implement before deeming the rocket fit for flight again.
Blue Origin identified a "thermo-structural failure of the engine nozzle" as causing thermal damage and hot streaks due to increased temperatures, which led to the rocket's failed launch.
Recovery phase
Successful uncrewed flight paves way for crewed missions
Blue Origin rebounded from the malfunction with a successful uncrewed flight in December 2023.
The NS-24 mission carried 33 research payloads, over half of which were "developed and flown with support from NASA," according to the company.
This successful payload mission paved the way for New Shepard to resume its crewed flights, marking a recovery milestone for Blue Origin's space tourism program.