Full reuse is a game changer, and we can’t wait to fuel up and fly again”, Blue Origin founder Bezos wrote in a press release.
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Now that Bezos and Blue Origin can claim that they’ve successfully launched a rocket to space and returned it to Earth dry and in one piece, they’ve wasted no time revving up the marketing machine. An American-made BE-3 liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen engine pumps out 110,000 pounds of thrust.
The rocket – New Shepard – soared 329,839 feet, or just above the 62-mile mark where outer space begins.
The capsule – The crew capsule successfully deploys drogue parachutes at 20,045 feet.
In this photo provided by Blue Origin taken on Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, an unmanned Blue Origin booster rocket sits after landing in Van Horn, West Texas.
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is the founder of Blue Origin, which aims to commercialize human space travel. The ability to land vertically is prized because it allows rockets to be reused and may increase the frequency of launches. The company plans to try again on its next launch, perhaps next month.
Blue Origin’s craft took off Monday from the company’s Texas launch site, reached an altitude of 329,839 feet and then landed vertically atop a pillar of flame from its motor.
Blue Origin is Bezos’ aerospace startup, a privately funded firm that is developing technologies to lower cost and increase reliability. SpaceX said it will not give up though.
After that, it was time for the crew to watch as the rocket came plummeting back to Earth.
About two more years of test flights are planned before people will ride on the New Shepard spacecraft, Bezos said.
With the successful launch and landing of its reusable rocket, Blue Origin not only exorcised its own demons by rebounding from a failed landing in April due to hydraulic issues, but also beat competitor SpaceX – founded by Elon Musk – to the punch.
In the 21st century space race, Jeff Bezos just leaped ahead of Elon Musk.
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He said SpaceX concentrated on getting into orbit first so that it could supply the space station, and left achieving reusability until later.
