Blue Origin's Historic 11th Human Flight to Space
Key Ideas
- Blue Origin's NS-31, powered by liquid oxygen and hydrogen, successfully reached the boundary of space on its 11th human flight.
- An all-female crew experienced zero gravity during the short autonomous mission before the capsule safely returned to Earth.
- Blue Origin's BE-3U engine, using liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen, provides thrust in vacuum and throttle ability for space tourism and research.
- The BE-4 engine in Blue Origin's portfolio, fueled by LNG, offers high thrust with deep throttle capability and eliminates the need for helium reserves.
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket successfully completed its 11th human flight, known as NS-31, from Launch Site One in West Texas. The mission, powered by liquid oxygen and hydrogen, reached the Kármán line, marking the boundary of space. Onboard was an all-female crew including Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez, who experienced zero gravity before returning safely to Earth. The BE-3U engine, utilizing liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen, provided thrust for the suborbital rocket designed for space tourism and research. Additionally, Blue Origin's BE-4 engine, running on LNG, showcased high thrust capabilities and autogenous repressurisation, reducing dependency on helium reserves. Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000, competes in the suborbital space market alongside Virgin Galactic. The successful mission highlights advancements in space exploration and the potential for commercial space travel.
Topics
North America
Rocket Launch
Space Tourism
Liquid Oxygen
Suborbital Research
Female Crew
BE-3U Model
BE-4 Engine
Space Market
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