On Thursday, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin completed a successful flight test in the upgraded New Shepard vessel. The crew capsule received a mix of safety and convenience-related updates for its 14th flight (called “NS-14”) which lasted about 10 minutes. NBC News reported that the spacecraft could already fly with a full crew in April.
Big Tom to land management – The NS-14 added communication features to each of the six seats in the capsule, which was also new, including a crew alarm system full of the space equivalent of an air safety video. Passengers in each seat can also maintain communication with Mission Control thanks to microphones and push-to-talk buttons.
Cooling and humidity control systems have also been put in place to prevent the windows from fading and to scrub carbon dioxide from the inside. Some sound density also suppressed the ambient noise in the capsule. Ultimately, it was meant to be a fun experience, so the booster rotated every 2 seconds during the ascent during the ascent to provide 360 views of the now foggy windows.
Sources told NBC News the test flight NS-15 is expected to take place over six weeks with a crew flight taking place six weeks later (or approximately in early April). Blue Origin has a high goal of eventually sending people on a regular six-week route.
Billionaires in space – While Elon Musk’s SpaceX has certainly progressed in the billionaire space race, Bezos and Richard Oranson, Virgin Orbit, are pushing ahead with their own plans. Virgin Orbit has literally struggled to get off the ground, but the most recent reform plan for January 17 could recreate its place in the burgeoning industry.
Like its billionaire astronauts, Bezos has his own ideas for space travel, preferring the great unknown to become a dumping ground for the wasting earth. The introduction of private space travel at a relatively emerging stage of the process could potentially affect a handful of elites how we treat the rest of the solar system. But hey, the booster is turning, so it’s cool.