Blue Origin is heading towards a new milestone with the scheduled launch of its second human-rated New Shepard rocket, the NS-27, on October 7th from a West Texas site. The company reveals that the forthcoming launch marks the debut of a next-generation space vehicle designed for human spaceflight. As reported by KTSM, the uncrewed verification flight will have its window opened at 7 a.m. Mountain time.
Enthusiasts and observers can view the launch live, with coverage beginning almost 15 minutes before the launch window opens at 11:55 a.m. EDT, as per Space.com. The mission, signifying a pivotal test for Blue Origin, arrives amidst the company's phased return to regular launches following a previous incident.
Before this launch, Blue Origin's New Shepard faced scrutiny following an "anomaly" during the NS-23 flight. It resulted in a temporary grounding by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to the Orlando Sentinel, the anomaly occurred approximately one minute after liftoff, when an engine nozzle overheated. This led to a structural failure and consequently a deviation from the intended trajectory. Nevertheless, the incident involved a booster that had not been previously used in human spaceflights.
Resumption of flights commenced with an uncrewed mission in December 2023, followed by two crewed missions in 2024, tallying 44 individuals sent to space by Blue Origin—one passenger flying twice among them. Notably, frequent private space travelers Marc and Sharon Hagle from Central Florida, and Brevard County millionaire Steve Young have been some of the company's customers, as detailed by the Orlando Sentinel. Blue Origin had outlined plans to increase passenger flights to as many as six per year before the grounding occurred.
As Blue Origin pushes ahead, the space industry keeps a watchful eye on the NS-27 launch, poised to validate the company's latest advancements in human space travel and its commitment to expanding the frontier of commercial spaceflight.