Blue Origin plans to launch an updated New Shepard probe today, along with a test dummy called the Skywalker Mannequin. You can watch the action live right here.
The new Shepard NS-14 mission is scheduled for launch at 11:57 am ET (10:57 am CT, which is local time) from Blue Origin launch site One in West Texas. Transmission is expected to begin approximately 30 minutes prior to departure. You can watch it live below or the Blue Origin website.
This will mark the 14th launch of the New Shepard program, which is in its seventh year of unmanned flight testing. Finally, the reusable suborbital launch vehicle will carry space tourists, about six per flight, in addition to the Kármán line, the internationally recognized space frontier.
Looking through the large windows of the capsule, future passengers will have a glorious view, lasting about 11 minutes, over our blue planet at heights reaching 100 km. The New Shepard spacecraft will enter suborbital space and, without entering Earth orbit, return to the surface shortly after launch. The reinforcement will make a vertical landing, while the capsule will use parachutes to make its slow descent.
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Before this can happen, however, Blue Origin must certify that the capsule is suitable for humans. The company is very close to achieving this, with today’s launch being an important step.
Mannequin Skywalker (play by Anakin Skywalker of Star Wars) has traveled into suborbital space before, but the test dummy should notice some new improvements.
The crew capsule has been modified to enhance the passenger experience, including improved acoustic and temperature control inside the vehicle, new crew display panels, microphone speakers and a switch button. each seat. seconds in Blue Origin, owned and run by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and one of the richest people on earth. The capsule has also been fitted with six seats, one of which will be occupied by the Skywalker mannequin.
A key goal of the new Shepard NS-14 mission will be to test communications and security alert systems. A successful test today could set the stage for a real manned flight, which is not expected until 2022. Blue Origin had initially hoped to launch humans into space in 2019.
The price of the ticket in suborbital space is not yet known, with estimates ranging from $ 50,000 to $ 250,000 per seat. Sof course, these adventures in space will not be immediately accessible to those of us who are 99%.