Space Journey Awaits: Jeff Bezos Embarks on Voyage With Self-Designed Spaceship
Blasting Off with a Dream: Jeff Bezos Aboard Blue Origin's Spacecraft
Jeff Bezos, the visionary behind Amazon, is all set to voyage into space on July 20, 2021, aboard Blue Origin's manned New Shepard spacecraft. His brother, Mark Bezos, will join him on this historic journey. According to Naked Science, Bezos has harbored dreams of space travel since he was just five years old.
This groundbreaking event marks the first manned flight for the New Shepard spacecraft, which has previously completed 15 test launches, all of which were either partially or fully successful, albeit uncrewed. Blue Origin's most recent test flight occurred on April 14.
New Shepard, named after America's first astronaut, Alan Shepard, is a two-part system. The spacecraft, a manned capsule, is launched by a reusable single-stage rocket. Upon reentry, the capsule deploys parachutes for a smooth descent, with an emergency escape system providing added safety.
In the pipeline for Blue Origin is a more audacious venture: the New Glenn heavy-lift reusable space rocket. Conceptually similar to SpaceX's famous Falcon 9, the New Glenn's first flight is slated for 2022. However, as with any ambitious project, delays are not uncommon.
new Shepard's Historic Milestones and Future Plans
Since its debut, New Shepard has made a splash in the space tourism industry. Its first crewed mission on July 20, 2021, carried Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, Wally Funk, and Oliver Daemen. Following this, the spacecraft had five more crewed flights, including journeys with celebrities like William Shatner and Wally Funk.
However, in September 2022, an uncrewed mission faced an engine anomaly, leading to a temporary grounding for investigation. The source of the issue was ultimately traced back to a thermal-structure failure in the BE-3PM engine nozzle. Post-resolution of this problem, New Shepard is all set to resume its operations.
Blue Origin is also planning to send an all-female passenger crew aboard New Shepard, including Gayle King, Katy Perry, and Lauren Sánchez.
Blue Origin's Visionary Leaps: New Glenn's History and Future
New Glenn is an orbital launch vehicle developed by Blue Origin, designed for semi-reusability. Development of New Glenn began over a decade ago, with its first flight occurring in January 2025. The inaugural launch was successful, but the booster failed to return, marking a minor setback.
Preparations for New Glenn's second flight are now underway, with the second stage test-fired recently. The target launch date falls around mid-2025.
New Glenn has already secured contracts with various clients, such as AST SpaceMobile and telecommunications companies, and the US Space Force. Blue Origin aims to use New Glenn boosters up to 25 times, though the first flight did not meet this objective.
With the ambitious New Shepard and the colossal New Glenn, Blue Origin continues to push the boundaries of commercial space exploration.
In the realm of space tourism, New Shepard, named after America's first astronaut, has been a trailblazer, carrying notable passengers such as Jeff Bezos, along with celebrities like William Shatner and Wally Funk. Despite a temporary halt in operations due to an engine anomaly in September 2022, New Shepard is poised to resume flights with an upcoming all-female passenger crew, including Gayle King, Katy Perry, and Lauren Sánchez. Meanwhile, Blue Origin is also developing the reusable New Glenn space rocket, similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9, with the first flight scheduled for 2022, driving further advancements in the field of space-and-astronomy and technology.
