On May 19, Blue Origin resumed crewed suborbital flights with the successful NS-25 mission despite a parachute issue. The mission included Ed Dwight, funded by Space for Humanity, and marked the company's first crewed launch since August 2022.
By Shreya M
On May 19, Blue Origin launched its seventh crewed mission into suborbital space. However, one of the capsule's three primary parachutes failed to fully inflate during descent. Despite this issue, the New Shepard (NS) capsule safely returned to Blue Origin's spaceport in West Texas. The reusable New Shepard rocket lifted off at 10:35 a.m. EDT, marking Blue Origin's 25th suborbital mission. This flight was significant as it was the first crewed mission since August 4, 2022. The New Shepard spacecraft had been grounded for over a year to address a nozzle problem that caused an accident during the unmanned NS-23 flight on September 12, 2022. After thorough inspections and repairs, Blue Origin successfully launched the unmanned NS-24 mission on December 19, 2023. This mission marked New Shepard's return to flight after a fifteen-month hiatus, paving the way for the recent crewed mission.
Former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, the first African-American selected as an astronaut candidate in 1961, was among the six crew members on the NS-25 mission. Despite being recommended to join the NASA Astronaut Corps after completing the Air Force's flight training program, he was not selected as an astronaut. Instead, Dwight found success in a different field, becoming a renowned sculptor.
In a webcast interview with Blue Origin crew liaison Laura Stiles following the trip, Dwight, 90, said, "It was the first real deal that I got involved in that I wasn't successful at."
"In the back of my mind, I had to push it aside, convince myself that I didn't need it, and so on. However, I did. I really appreciate it. I'm overjoyed," he exclaimed.
The charity Citizen Astronaut Programme of Space for Humanity funded Dwight's journey. Venture capitalist Mason Angel, the founder of Sylvain Chiron's French brewery, software entrepreneur Kenneth Hess, retired CPA and explorer Carol Schaller, pilot and wellness entrepreneur Gopi Thotakura, and paying passengers all accompanied him on the NS-25 voyage.
The crew capsule descended down to Earth after reaching an apogee of 347,464 feet above ground level, around 2.5 minutes after liftoff, when it separated from the New Shepard launcher. One of the capsule's three primary parachutes had not fully inflated, according to footage of the capsule's reentry.
"The capsule is intended to land safely with a single parachute," an email from the business to Aerospace DAILY following landing stated. "The mission was successful overall."
The capsule's speed upon touchdown and the potential effects of the parachute problem on New Shepard's manifest for the remainder of the year were not disclosed by the firm.
In addition, Blue Origin is getting ready for the New Glenn, its first orbital-class spacecraft, to launch this year.
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