Amazon’s Jeff Bezos getting ready to take you to space

Share:
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin company has completed a successful spaceflight test in West Texas (shown). The New Shepard vehicle rose to a height of 58 miles (94km) - four miles short of space - before landing. It was unmanned, but will ultimately take six people into space
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company has completed a successful spaceflight test in West Texas (shown). The New Shepard vehicle rose to a height of 58 miles (94km) – four miles short of space – before landing. It was unmanned, but will ultimately take six people into space

The dawn of a new era of space travel may be upon us after Amazon’s Jeff Bezos successfully tested a vehicle that will take tourists into space.

Mr Bezos’ firm, called the Blue Origin company, has long spoken of its desire to take paying astronauts into the cosmos.

And now it has performed the first successful test of the vehicle they hope will make that dream a reality.

Called New Shepard, the vehicle consists of a main booster rocket and a six-seater capsule on top, standing 60ft (18 metres) tall.

For this, the first test flight of the entire architecture, it was unmanned – but the company hopes to soon start taking customers into space.

The cost of a ticket has not yet been announced, but estimates suggest it will be around  $200,000 – similar to a flight on Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.

The difference, however, is that while Galactic relies on using a plane to slowly rise into the atmosphere, New Shepard takes off straight up and lands back on the ground.

This is known as vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL).

And Blue Origin is also much more secretive – with this successful test flight taking many by surprise.

In video released by Blue Origin, the booster – using liquid hydrogen and oxygen – lifts the New Shepard vehicle to an altitude of 58 miles (94km).

This is four miles (six kilometres) short of the official boundary of space – the Karman Line – although there does not seem to be any problems with reaching this boundary in future.

Once it reached its peak altitude, accelerating at 3Gs, the booster separated from the capsule.

‘The in-space separation of the crew capsule from the propulsion module was perfect,’ Mr Bezso said in a blog post.

‘Any astronauts on board would have had a very nice journey into space and a smooth return.’

Ultimately, the flights will enable six people to go to space. While in space, huge windows will give the customers a stunning view of Earth (artist's impression shown), and they'll also have several minutes of weightlessness, before the capsule falls to Earth and lands using parachutes
Ultimately, the flights will enable six people to go to space. While in space, huge windows will give the customers a stunning view of Earth (artist’s impression shown), and they’ll also have several minutes of weightlessness, before the capsule falls to Earth and lands using parachutes
Here the capsule is seen returning to Earth on this test flight with its three parachutes. ‘Any astronauts on board would have had a very nice journey into space and a smooth return,' Amazon's Jeff Bezos said in a blog post announcing the successful flight
Here the capsule is seen returning to Earth on this test flight with its three parachutes. ‘Any astronauts on board would have had a very nice journey into space and a smooth return,’ Amazon’s Jeff Bezos said in a blog post announcing the successful flight

On this occasion, however, the booster lost pressure in its hydraulic system and was not recovered.

Mr Bezos said the firm was already working on an improved system to make sure the error doesn’t happen again.

‘Assembly of propulsion module serial numbers 2 and 3 is already underway – we’ll be ready to fly again soon,’ he said.

Combined, the booster and capsule stand 60ft (18 metres) tall, with a feather painted onto the side
Combined, the booster and capsule stand 60ft (18 metres) tall, with a feather painted onto the side
This is the walkway astronauts will ultimately use when the company stars its manned flights
This is the walkway astronauts will ultimately use when the company stars its manned flights
Share:

Comments

15 responses to “Amazon’s Jeff Bezos getting ready to take you to space”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    You’ll still not see this, you ‘big spenders’ ….
    RA … in all his glory ….
    http://www.techienews.co.uk/9729618/stunning-snake-like-eruption-from-the-sun-captured/

  2. Japanese automaker Honda on Thursday, May 14 announced the recall of 4.89 million vehicles worldwide due to defective airbags manufactured by Takata

  3. Toyota and Nissan on Wednesday, May 13, announced the recall around the world more than 6.5 million vehicles due to defective airbags made by Takata

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Thank God. Are they finally getting rid of that ancient DOS system??

      1. I don’t know, i got rid of windose many years ago for linux ubuntu http://www.ubuntu.com/tour/en/

  4. The orbit of the ISS was able to raise at the second attempt http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2006/12/space-station-reboost-success/

  5. Scientists have learned about the habits and appearance of the first snake http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150519210253.htm

  6. SpaceX has posted a video of the first tests of his manned spacecraft https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcHD9AmkxA0

  7. Ariane 5 rocket launched with satellites of US company DirecTV http://time.com/3898407/ariane-5-launch-directv-15-sky-mexico-1-satellites/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *