After a previous launch attempt on 9 December was called off due to high winds, Blue Origin managed to launch the third of its New Shepard human-carrying suborbital flights. The launch was officially named NS-19 but also dubbed Glen Derries in the technology entrepreneur’s honour. Derries flew on the previous New Shepard flight but was subsequently killed in an air crash. It took place at 1501 GMT on 11 December from the Van Horn launch site in West Texas.
The crew included Laura Shepard Churchley, daughter of the first US astronaut in suborbital space Alan B. Shepard, after whom the New Shepard launch vehicle is named. This third crewed flight was the first to carry six people. The first two flights carried four. Two of the participants, including Laura Shepard Churchley, were paid for by Blue Origin as “guests”. The other was a former American football star and ABC TV presenter Michael Strahan. The four paying customers were space industry executive Dylan Taylor; investor Evan Dick; founder of Bess Ventures Lane Bess and his son Cameron Bess.
The trajectory peaked at 107 km altitude and is thus classed for official purposes as a spaceflight since it passed the 100 km limit of the Karman line. The reusable first stage made its rocket-powered vertical landing as planned. The New Shepard capsule detached as planned and its parachute was deployed at 8 minutes 45 seconds after lift-off. The capsule landed safely with its “crew” of six astronauts/participants. They are expected to be the last to be awarded the FAA commercial spaceflight wings as this award was due to be discontinued at the end of 2021.
Parachute descent of the crew capsule of New Shepard NS-19 suborbital flights. Courtesy: Blue Origin
