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NEW SHEPARD-29 LAUNCH WITH LUNAR GRAVITY TESTS (Blue Origin), Feb 4, 2025, West Texas,
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Update, February 4: The launch took place today at 10:00 am CENTRAL Time (11:00 am Eastern).
Key stats from today’s New Shepard NS-29 mission:
The Crew Capsule reached an apogee of 341,944 ft AGL / 345,591 ft MSL (104 km AGL / 105 km MSL).
The booster reached an apogee of 341,700 ft AGL / 345,347 ft MSL (104 km AGL / 105 km MSL).
Official launch time was 10:00:00…
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) February 4, 2025
One of the parachutes was slow to inflate, however.
It did fully inflate before touchdown.
Update, January 28, 12:55 pm ET: The launch was just scrubbed more than and hour-and-a-half into a hold due to weather and a vehicle issue. A new date will be announced later.
Update, January 28: They shifted liftoff time to 10:30 am Central (11:30 am Eastern).
Every mission has a story. Learn more about the symbolism behind the NS-29 mission patch.
The launch window opens tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. CST (1630 UTC), with the webcast starting 15 minutes before liftoff at https://t.co/haoCHBXz6v. pic.twitter.com/HjI1IFNV6Q
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 27, 2025
Original Entry: Blue Origin will launch its next suborbital New Shepard rocket on January 28, 2025 from West Texas. The launch window opens at 10:00 am CENTRAL Time (11:00 am Eastern). A webcast will begin 15 minutes before liftoff.
This is the 29th New Shepard launch and the first to attempt to mimic the Moon’s gravity, which is one-sixth that of Earth, by spinning the crew capsule up to 11 revolutions per minute.
No passengers will be on this flight, only payloads. More information is on the company’s website, which says:
Blue Origin’s next New Shepard flight, NS-29, will simulate the Moon’s gravity and fly 30 payloads, all but one of which is focused on testing lunar-related technologies. The launch window opens on Tuesday, January 28, at 10:00 AM CST / 1600 UTC from Launch Site One in West Texas. The webcast will begin 15 minutes before liftoff.
The payloads will experience at least two minutes of lunar gravity forces, a first for New Shepard and made possible in part through support from NASA. The flight will test six broad lunar technology areas: In-situ resource utilization, dust mitigation, advanced habitation systems, sensors and instrumentation, small spacecraft technologies, and entry descent and landing. Proving out these technologies at lower cost is another step toward Blue Origin’s mission to lower the cost of access to space for the benefit of Earth. It also enables NASA and other lunar surface technology providers to test innovations critical to achieving Artemis program goals and exploring the Moon’s surface.
The New Shepard crew capsule is using its Reaction Control System (RCS) to spin up to approximately 11 revolutions per minute. This spin rate simulates one-sixth Earth gravity at the midpoint of the crew capsule lockers. In simulated lunar gravity, customers can accelerate their learning and technology readiness for lunar payloads at much lower cost. Previously, the Moon’s gravity could only be simulated a few seconds at a time via centrifuge drop tower or for ~20 seconds aboard parabolic flights.