A test flight of a new propulsion module version of Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle took place at 1659 GMT on 12 December. The “Mission 7” flight which did not quite hit 100 km (99.4 km achieved), thus would not be technically be counted as a “spaceflight” in not breaching this limit. Nevertheless, the launch successfully tested a new Mk 2.0 version of the crew capsule which has bigger windows for passengers. This flight was flown in unmanned condition – although it did carry an instrumented dummy dubbed “Mannequin Skywalker”. Both the new propulsion module and capsule landed safely near the launch site in Western Texas respectively – the Crew Capsule 2.0 using parachute landing in the desert scrubland while the propulsion module made a powered landing on a special landing pad.
Crew Capsule 2.0 is successfully launched by new version of New Shepard. Courtesy: Blue Origin
