It’s been more than a year and a half since Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket failed mid-flight, and more than two since its last crewed flight. Now the company will launch six humans into space. The company’s launch window begins at 6:30 a.m. PT / 9:30 a.m. ET, but will begin streaming 40 minutes in advance. on his website.
Blue Origin also normally streams its launches live on his YouTube channel, so it’s a safe bet that he will do it for his NS-25 mission tomorrow. Assuming the launch goes as planned, will carry six passengers on board, including Ed Dwight, 90, who was the United States’ first black astronaut candidate but who never went to space. The other passengers are Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller and Gopi Thotakura.
The Federal Aviation Administration closed its investigation into the accident in September last year, requiring Blue Origin to take 21 corrective actions, including redesigning engine components and nozzles to prevent future failures. In December, Blue Origin spear 33 scientific payloads from NASA and other institutions in space. The capsule and booster were then successfully recovered.