blue origin’s reusable new shepard rocket booster successfully lands in west texas

 
blue origin’s reusable new shepard rocket booster successfully lands in west texas
all images courtesy of blue origin

spaceflight company blue origin has successfully landed their reusable rocket ’new shepard’ at a launch site in west texas. the vehicle reached an altitude of 100 km before returning to it’s booster landing position. the favorable outcome is the result of the rockets unique top ring fin, that helped control reentry. in addition, eight drag brakes were deployed to reduce the terminal speed of 623 km/h and small hydraulically actuated thrusters steered the vehicle through high altitude crosswinds to a location precisely aligned with the landing pad.

once 1.5 km above earth, the throttle-able main engine re-ignited to slow the rocket down onto the landing gear. the ‘new shepard’ vehicle allows blue origin to fly repeated missions again and again, and marks progress towards commercial space flight. the program will continuously improve the affordability of space exploration and research, and open space for all.

 the mission arrangement  the ‘new shepard’ carried to the launch site the launch of the rocket in west texas the capsule landing the celebrations after the successful landing