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Blue Origin had to use the New Shepard missile emergency system during the N-23 mission. The flight was interrupted due to problems with the booster, after which the unmanned useful loadcapsule was disconnected from the missile.
The New Shepard booster was launched on Monday at 4:26 pm Dutch time and appeared to function normally during the first minute. One minute and four seconds after launch there appears to be a sudden change in the booster rocket’s emissions and it suddenly appears to start flying sideways. At that moment the emergency system is activated, after which the capsule with the payload is disconnected from the missile.
The live stream commentator said: “Something abnormal appears to have happened during today’s flight. This was not expected and we do not yet have details on the situation. However, our crew capsule managed to escape successfully. [van de booster]. ” Blue Origin confirms that this is a problem with the booster and may indicate that the emergency system was working properly. After writes the space agency that the booster was ‘smashed to the ground’, which almost certainly confirms that the missile in question was destroyed.
The space company has not released further details on the incident. What is clear is that at the critical moment the New Shepard rocket is at roughly ‘max-q’, the height at which the spacecraft is under the most aerodynamic pressure. There were more than thirty payloads in the capsule, including NASA-sponsored science experiments and … tens of thousands of postcards. It is not known whether the capsule contents are still completely intact.
Update, 20:30: The article incorrectly referred to the N-23 mission as a test flight. This is incorrect. It was a normal unmanned space mission with the aim of scientific research. The article has been adapted accordingly. A recent statement from Blue Origin about the fate of the New Shepard booster was also added to the message. Thanks to Sebazz.
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