Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Genesis completed its first launch mission in 2021 on Thursday local time, successfully conducting key tests on its rocket booster and capsule, and preparing to send the first batch of space tourists to the edge of space as early as April.

Blue origin completed its 14th test flight of its new Shepard rocket booster and capsule in western Texas. The successful test flight, called ns-14, was launched to an altitude of 100000 meters. This is the first flight of the booster and its carrying capsule, which is equipped with a complete set of new passenger safety and control systems, and blue origin has tested these systems for the first time during the flight.

During the test, the capsule also carried a life size test dummy, called mannequin Skywalker, which recorded information about the rocket's flight and landing process, which blue origin will now review.

Blue origin said the test was very successful, including take-off, booster separation, controlled landing ignition and final landing. The manned space capsule used parachute assisted landing. The mission did not carry any real passengers, but carried 50000 postcards from schoolchildren around the world, which have now officially entered space (across the Kaman line). After returning to the ground, the postcards will be returned to the students through the future club, a nonprofit organization under blue origin.

It is reported that the ns-14 is one of the last key steps before blue origin sends the first batch of tourists into space. The flight is the first of two so-called "stable configuration" test flights, which means the company plans to avoid making significant changes between the two flights. The goal of blue origin is to conduct a second test flight in six weeks or late February, and the first manned flight in six weeks or early April thereafter.

People familiar with the matter said that the next test flight of blue origin ns-15 will also include boarding and disembarking tests. They also warn that blue genesis has an ambitious timetable for the new Shepard project, which aims to fly every six weeks. The company's ns-13 test was conducted in October last year, nine months after the last flight.

The new Shepard is designed to carry people in a capsule that passes through the edge of space to a height of more than 100000 meters. After staying in weightlessness for a few minutes, the capsule returns to earth. The huge porthole allows passengers to see the scenery outside. The rocket and capsule are reusable, the booster can land vertically, and the capsule needs parachutes to help control the landing.

Blue origin was founded by Bezos in 2000. It has more than 3500 employees and is headquartered in Kent, Washington. So far, blue origin has successfully launched the new Shepard 14 times, and successfully recovered the rocket booster 13 times in a row. The company made a total of four boosters, the fourth of which was first launched on Thursday. The third booster of blue origin has been flying seven times in a row.

Bezos personally provided financial support for the development of blue origin by selling some of his shares in Amazon. Bezos has previously said that he sells about $1 billion of Amazon stock annually to fund the space company, but he recently increased the sale of Amazon stock, cashing out more than $10 billion worth of shares in 2020. (small)

Source: Netease technology report, translated by Baidu