Bezos's Blue Origin launches rocket with space tourists after 2 years of break

Blue Origin, owned by Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, has launched the New Shepard-25 tourist spacecraft to the so-called Karman Line at an altitude of 100 km above the Earth. The launch was broadcast on the company's website. To date, this is the seventh manned launch by Blue Origin.

This was reported by CNN.

During the mission, the crew reached a speed three times faster than the speed of sound.

The rocket flew over the capsule past the Karman line, an area 100 km above the Earth's surface, which is recognised as the height at which outer space begins.

At the peak of the flight, the passengers experienced several minutes of weightlessness and saw the view of the Earth from the windows.

In addition to the pilot, there were six space tourists on board:

• venture capitalist Mason Angel,
• Sylvain Chiron, founder of the French craft brewery Brasserie Mont-Blanc,
• software engineer and entrepreneur Kenneth L. Hess,
• retired accountant Carol Schaller,
• Gopi Tha pilot Ed Dwight.

Dwight was personally selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the country's first black astronaut candidate. As a result, Dwight never joined the NASA team and made his first flight at the age of 90 as a space tourist.

This launch was the first for the company after a two-year break, which was preceded by an accident on the NS-23 ship during the launch on 12 September 2022.

Then, due to problems with the rocket's engine nozzle, the launch abort system was activated.

As a result, the capsule carrying the scientific equipment ejected and landed with a parachute without damage, while the reusable rocket booster hit the ground and collapsed.

Background. As reported, former SpaceX and Blue Origin employees have created a startup that will create a fully reusable rocket.