The U.S. commercial space company Blue Origin, in cooperation with NASA, launched a reusable unmanned suborbital rocket Tuesday (Oct. 13) and successfully landed it at a launch site in West Texas.
The rocket with the unmanned spacecraft on board flew 100 kilometers along the edge of space in 12 minutes before returning to Earth. Several new technologies were tested during the flight, including two of NASA’s Precision Landing and Landing Sensor Systems, which can intelligently identify and avoid potential hazards in the landing target area and could be used by future spacecraft landing on the surface of the Moon and Mars.
The launch included Blue Origin’s six-passenger spacecraft, which is intended for future commercial launchers. The spacecraft is designed for future commercial manned space flights and includes what the company says is the largest porthole ever designed for a spacecraft. Once launched into space, the spacecraft will separate from the rocket.
The reusable rocket is called the New Shepard, named after Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut to go into space. The rocket landed at the Texas Launch Landing Site under the control of a counterboost engine, and the spacecraft landed shortly thereafter at the same location using three large parachutes.
The spacecraft contained many experiments and other items, including postcards from children all over the United States.
“Blue Origin is owned by Jeff Bezos, an American investor and entrepreneur, and CEO of Amazon.com.
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