Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft is set to launch on its 29th flight, attempting a daring maneuver to mimic lunar gravity during the trip. The capsule will rotate mid-flight to induce a few minutes of moon-like weightlessness, testing the cargo it carries.
The mission comes as Blue Origin continues to compete with SpaceX for NASA’s business and other private companies in the commercial space industry. A livestream of the takeoff will be provided by Blue Origin on its website, starting 15 minutes before the launch window opens at 11 a.m. EST.
New Shepard is designed to fly cargo and humans on short trips to the edge of space, with a capsule that returns to Earth via three parachutes. The rocket itself is powered by one BE-3PM engine, propelling it to suborbit before restarting to slow the booster down for a controlled landing back on the launch pad.
The mission will carry 30 science payloads, all but one of which are testing technology under lunar-like conditions. Almost all of the cargo belongs to NASA and comes as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign to send humans back to the moon in the years ahead.
This is not the first time Blue Origin has attempted to simulate lunar gravity, but it will be the first attempt on a commercial flight. The company previously launched New Glenn on its maiden flight, which was less than a month ago and came just after the launch of the second New Shepard vehicle designed for passengers.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/04/blue-origin-new-shepard-launch/78205839007