Blue Origin Launches 35th New Shepard Mission

Blue Origin today launched its 35th mission of the New Shepard suborbital vehicle after a four-week delay. The flight took off from the company’s site in West Texas without a human crew, carrying more than 40 scientific payloads.

Mission Details

The launch occurred at 9:01 AM Eastern Time, with the capsule ascending above the Kármán line, considered the boundary of space, at an altitude of 62 miles (100 kilometers). The journey from launch to landing lasted between 10 to 12 minutes.

Following the successful launch, the New Shepard boosters safely landed two miles from the launch pad about 7.5 minutes after liftoff. The capsule safely parachuted back to Earth 10 minutes and 15 seconds after launch.

Scientific Payloads on the Flight

The capsule carried more than 40 scientific payloads, including 24 experiments from NASA’s TechRise Student Challenge. This challenge allows students from grades six to twelve to design, build, and launch their experiments on test flights supported by NASA.

The payload list also included thousands of postcards from the Club for the Future, a nonprofit organization focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and affiliated with Blue Origin.

Previous Mission Delays

The NS-35 flight was initially delayed from its scheduled date of August 23 due to an issue with the booster electronics. The company attempted another launch on August 26 but canceled it for the same reason. This launch marks the first successful attempt since those efforts.

Versatile Use of New Shepard

In addition to uncrewed flights, New Shepard has conducted crewed missions, with 14 out of 34 previous missions carrying people to space. Previous passengers have included celebrities such as singer Katy Perry and actor William Shatner.

Conclusion

Blue Origin continues to enhance its efforts in space exploration through notable launches of the New Shepard vehicle. The company’s ongoing achievements demonstrate its commitment to developing space technologies and providing opportunities for students and scientists to conduct experiments in a space environment. As the world moves toward broader space exploration, the role of private companies like Blue Origin remains crucial in realizing these visions.