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Blue Origin, the private infinite firm started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has successfully completed a test launch of its revised New Shepard rocket. This is the first launch for Blue Origin in more than a twelvemonth, and it'due south also the first time information technology has tested its new Crew Capsule two.0. This brings Blue Origin one pace closer to sending upwards human passengers.

This was the beginning launch of the upgraded new Shepard, but it'southward nevertheless a rather humble rocket even with the latest blueprint improvements. New Shepard is a single-phase rocket, and then it's but the booster you see at launch, plus a payload. In this case, the payload is the new (unmanned) Coiffure Capsule 2.0. The rocket is designed to be reusable, and then afterwards releasing the payload, it heads dorsum downwardly to Earth and lands vertically, much like the Falcon 9's starting time stage.

In the latest test, Blueish Origin sent the New Shepard straight up to an distance of 322,000 anxiety (about 61 miles), only barely past the generally accepted "Karman Line" separating the atmosphere from space. At that point, the capsule was jettisoned and began falling dorsum into the atmosphere. Information technology deployed a drogue chute to tiresome its descent, followed by three large parachutes that brought information technology down for a gentle one mph landing. Meanwhile, the booster reignited its BE-iii engine and deployed landing legs to set down on the launch pad.

The adjacent revision of new Shepard side by side year will be the first i intended to take passengers into space. It'll do that with the help of the new Crew Capsule. Blue Origin is conspicuously proud of the new spacecraft, which sports huge windows measuring 2.4 feet by three.6 anxiety. They're past far the largest windows on any spacecraft. It will accept space for up to six space tourists, researchers, or experiments on each launch, but it'south not designed for long-term orbital trips. A commercial launch will look a lot similar this one — the rocket goes upwards to the edge of infinite, releases the crew module, and information technology comes dorsum down.

Bluish Origin has now had six successful tests of New Shepard in a row. If the final revision of its rocket performs as expected side by side year, passengers could begin flying in late 2022 or early on 2022. The visitor hasn't revealed how much a trip volition cost, just hopefully it's less than the $150,000+ Virgin Galactic is pushing.