By 
October 13th, 2020
Credit: Blue Origin/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Blue Origin’s New Shepard program completed today from a West Texas spaceport the 13th mission to space and back.
The firm — backed by Amazon.com mogul, Jeff Bezos — reports that the mission marked the 7th consecutive flight for this particular vehicle – a record.
NASA Deorbit, Descent, and Landing Sensor Demonstration.
Credit: Blue Origin
In a company statement, Blue Origin notes that there were 12 payloads onboard including the Deorbit, Descent, and Landing Sensor Demonstration under the NASA Tipping Point partnership.
That lunar landing sensor demo was the first payload to be mounted on the exterior of a New Shepard booster and tested technology designed to achieve high accuracy landing. “This will enable long-term lunar exploration, as well as future Mars missions,” the company explained in a press statement.
Credit: Blue Origin/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Mission highlights
Here are some key takeaways from today’s mission:
— 7th consecutive successful flight to space and back for this New Shepard vehicle (a record – previous booster completed 5 consecutive successful flights before retirement).
— 13th consecutive successful crew capsule landing (every flight in program).
— The crew capsule reached an apogee of 346,964 feet above ground level.
— The booster reached an apogee of 346,563 feet.
— The mission elapsed time was 10 min 9 sec and the max ascent velocity was 2,232 mph.
— Onboard the vehicle, tens of thousands of postcards from Blue Origin’s nonprofit, Club for the Future.
Go to launch video replay at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O97dPDkUGg4
Also, go to this Blue Origin video on the NASA lunar landing experiment at:
Learn how the @NASA lunar landing sensor demo on #NewShepard tests precision landing tech for future missions to the Moon in support of #Artemis. This is the first payload to fly on the exterior of a New Shepard booster. Watch: pic.twitter.com/vrUzLGadgS
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) October 13, 2020
Posted in Space News
