Blue Origin’s 27th Mission: A New Dawn for Space Tourism
Blue Origin has successfully completed its 27th mission, marking a significant step in its ambitions for commercial spaceflight.
This flight debuted the second human-rated vehicle for the New Shepard program. This addition expands flight capacity to meet rising customer demand.
Phil Joyce, SVP, New Shepard, shared his excitement: “We look forward to welcoming crew onboard RSS Kármán Line soon and offering the New Shepard flight experience to people across the world from all backgrounds.” He added, “On every New Shepard mission, we’ve witnessed people return to Earth changed by this experience, and with a renewed sense of commitment to preserve our planet.”
Mission Highlights
The NS-27 mission carried a diverse array of payloads, including:
- Tens of thousands of postcards submitted through the Club for the Future’s Postcards to Space program. Each postcard will be returned to its creator stamped “Flown to Space.” You can submit digital postcards here: [Digital postcards](https://www.blueorigin.com/)
- Five payloads on the booster and seven inside the crew capsule.
Vehicle Features and Sustainability
The new vehicle, named RSS Kármán Line, incorporates several technological upgrades designed to enhance performance and reusability. The vehicle features an updated look.
New Shepard continues to be one of the most eco-friendly rockets in space. Nearly 99% of the rocket’s dry mass, including the booster, capsule, engine, landing gear, and parachutes, is reused.
Payload Details
NS-27 transported 12 payloads:
- New navigation systems for New Shepard and New Glenn.
- Two LIDAR sensors for the Lunar Permanence program.
- Ultra-wideband proximity operations sensors funded by a NASA TechFlights grant.
- A commercial payload: replicas of the black monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey, courtesy of Spacemanic and Amaranthine Books.
Timeline
The launch experienced some delays due to technical issues, but the team ultimately achieved a successful mission. The launch window opened on October 23, 2024, at 10:00 AM CDT.
To purchase an astronaut seat or inquire about payloads, visit the provided links on the official Blue Origin website.
Watch a recording of the launch on Blue Origin’s website.
Stay updated on future missions by following Blue Origin on various social media platforms and signing up for email updates on their website.
