Blue Origin recently announced the delay of its New Shepard's in-flight test. The said event has been moved to Wednesday due to bad weather.
The suborbital spacecraft was supposed to have its in-flight test at Blue Origin's West Texas site. It would have coincided with the 59th anniversary of the Sputnik launch, which ushered in the Space age, according to the Geek Wire.
The Flight Test On Wednesday
The trial run will assess the spacecraft system during the flight. According to Space, New Shepard's onboard motor will be fired by the capsule. This will occur for two seconds after liftoff.
The motor is expected to jet hundreds of feet away from the booster. Apparently, the test's objective is to ensure the astronaut's safety during a real-life launch emergency.
Blue Origin will provide a webcast for the said test. It will be available through their website and YouTube channel. Coverage may start a half-hour before the launch.
Blue Origin's New Shepard
The New Shepard has a reusable rocket and capsule. It is being developed to take people and payloads to suborbital space. The capsule is actually programmed to light up its solid-rocket escape system. This is after about 45 seconds from liftoff. However, Geek Wire states that it might not survive a go-round intact.
New Shepard did indeed have four successful unmanned flights over the past year. However, based on simulations, the firing may deliver a heavy blow to the booster rocket. This might cause it to break apart. Despite this, there is a lingering hope that the booster could still survive it like before.
Blue Origin's Plan The New Shepard
Blue Origin plans to start carrying people by 2017, specifically those who have been part of the project. By 2018, the company hopes to have people willing to pay on board the spacecraft.
The ticket price has not been announced yet. But the company has arranged a mailing list for interested passengers. This is currently only for updates and not for reservations.
