After a year-long hiatus, Blue Origin is poised to revive its New Shepard rocket, which suffered an anomaly and exploded in mid-air in September 2022. The private spaceflight company, founded by Jeff Bezos, is targeting December 18 for a return to flight, with a batch of 33 science and research payloads and 38,000 postcards for its Club for the Future initiative. The flight marks a significant milestone for Blue Origin, as it aims to rebuild trust and confidence in its safety and reliability.
The recent incident was a major setback for Blue Origin, which had been gaining momentum with its New Shepard program. Between July 2021 and August 2022, the company successfully launched high-paying tourists to the edge of space on six flights. However, the unexpected explosion of the uncrewed rocket on August 15, 2022, sent shockwaves through the industry and forced the company to investigate the cause.
The investigation, led by Blue Origin and overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration, identified the root cause of the failure as a nozzle on the rocket’s engine suffering from structural fatigue failure. This led to a thrust misalignment, which triggered the crew capsule’s emergency escape system, propelling it away from the explosion at high speed and allowing for a safe, parachute-assisted landing.
In response to the incident, Blue Origin engineers have taken several steps to address the issue. They have redesigned the engine’s combustion chamber and adjusted operating parameters to ensure the nozzle is less prone to failure. The company has also implemented additional safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Blue Origin’s Quest to Revive New Shepard Rocket
Despite the setback, Blue Origin appears confident in its ability to revive the New Shepard program. The company has been working diligently to rectify the issues and is now ready to send the rocket back into space. The upcoming flight will carry a range of scientific payloads, ranging from climate and weather research to biological and materials science experiments.
In addition to the scientific payloads, the flight will also feature 38,000 postcards as part of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future initiative. The postcards, designed by students from around the world, aim to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians to pursue careers in STEM subjects.
While the flight is a significant step forward for Blue Origin, it remains unclear when the company will resume flight operations for space tourists. Jeff Bezos himself took a ride on the New Shepard in its first crewed flight in 2021, but it seems that the company is focused on regaining confidence in its safety record before resuming commercial operations. For now, the focus is on reviving the rocket and getting it back into space, where it can continue to play a vital role in advancing scientific understanding and inspiring the next generation of space enthusiasts.
