Blue Origin Preparing To Resume New Shepard Flights

Blue Origin is preparing to resume launches of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle in the coming weeks following a recovery period from an in-flight anomaly that occurred nine months ago.

Speaking at the "Investing in Space" event organized by the Financial Times on June 6, Blue Origin's CEO, Bob Smith, mentioned that the company is on the brink of resuming New Shepard launches, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

New Shepard was grounded folllowing a failure experienced during a NS-23, a cargo mission in September 2022. Blue Origin stated following there internal investiation, the vehicle's BE-3PM engine nozzle suffered a structural failure due to temperatures surpassing its design limits. Consequently, the crew capsule's abort motor was triggered, ensuring a safe landing via parachute, while the propulsion module was destroyed.

[YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAd5sffUsjE]

Blue Origin quickly identified the cause of the anomaly following the incident and has been collaboratively working with the FAA to establish the necessary processes for the resumption of flights.

Blue Origin initially announced in March that it anticipated a prompt return to launches, with the NS-23 mission being the first to fly again. However, specific details regarding the schedule were not provided. The FAA declared its requirement to review Blue Origin's plans before granting permission for flights to recommence.

Smith stated that they are in the final stages of obtaining FAA approval and ensuring the readiness of the system. He expressed confidence that New Shepard will be prepared for flight within the next few weeks.

Despite the interruption in launches, the incident has not dampened the demand for space tourism flights on New Shepard.

Over the past nine months, new customers have signed up for these flights. Smith emphasized that people witnessed a highly safe system during the incident, highlighting the successful abort scenario where the capsule landed safely and was ready for another flight the following day.