Astronomy:RSS First Step

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Short description: Blue Origin New Shepard capsule


RSS First Step
TypeSpace capsule
ClassNew Shepard crew capsule
ManufacturerBlue Origin
Flight history
First flightBlue Origin NS-14
20 July 2021
Last flightBlue Origin NS-22
04 August 2022
Flights8

RSS First Step (Reusable Space Ship First Step) is a New Shepard space capsule, built and operated by American spaceflight company Blue Origin.[1] It is the third New Shepard capsule to fly to space, and the first to fly passengers. Its first flight was the NS-14 mission, which reached an altitude of 107 km (66 mi) on 14 January 2021.[2]

History

RSS First Step is the third New Shepard capsule built by Blue Origin, and the first designed to carry passengers. It flew to space for the first time on 14 January 2021, during the NS-14 spaceflight. NS-14 also served as the maiden flight of the NS4 propulsion module.[3] The following flight, NS-15, which was also flown uncrewed by First Step and NS4, tested boarding and deboarding in what Blue Origin called an "astronaut operational exercise."[4]

First Step flew Blue Origin's first crewed flight on 20 July 2021, carrying founder Jeff Bezos and three passengers to space.[5] This made Texas the fourth state to launch humans into space,[6] after Florida, California, and New Mexico. As of November 2022, it has flown five subsequent crewed spaceflights, carrying a total of 31 people into space, including one (Evan Dick) twice.

The New Shepard fleet is grounded as of 2022 due to a failure during the NS-23 mission. The capsule used during the mission, RSS H.G. Wells, managed to abort successfully, while the booster was destroyed. The next mission will occur following an investigation.[7]

Flights

Mission Launch date (UTC) Landing date (UTC) Crew Duration Remarks Outcome
NS-14 14 January 2021 14 January 2021 Uncrewed ~10 minutes Uncrewed test flight. Maiden flight of NS4 propulsion module. Success
NS-15 14 April 2021 14 April 2021 Uncrewed ~10 minutes Uncrewed test flight. Passenger process test conducted. Four Blue Origin employees serve as stand-in passengers. Success
NS-16 20 July 2021,

13:11

20 July 2021,

13:21

10 minutes, 18 seconds First crewed flight of the New Shepard vehicle and first crewed spaceflight from Texas. Carried Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and three other passengers.[8] Success
NS-18 13 October 2021,

14:49

13 October 2021,

14:59

  • United States Audrey Powers
  • Australia Chris Boshuizen
  • United States Glen de Vries
  • Canada William Shatner
10 minutes, 17 seconds Space tourism mission. Second crewed flight of New Shepard. Carried actor William Shatner and three other paying passengers.[9] Success
NS-19 11 December 2021,

15:00

11 December 2021,

15:10

  • United States Laura Shepard Churchley
  • United States Michael Strahan
  • United States Dylan Taylor
  • United States Evan Dick
  • United States Lane Bess
  • United States Cameron Bess
10 minutes, 13 seconds Space tourism mission. Third crewed flight of New Shepard. First fully crewed New Shepard spaceflight. Carried Laura Shepard Churchley, the daughter of Alan Shepard, for whom the vehicle is named after, football player and Good Morning America host Michael Strahan, and four other paying passengers.[10] Success
NS-20 31 March 2022,

13:57

31 March 2022,

14:07

  • United States Marty Allen
  • United States Sharon Hagle
  • United States Marc Hagle
  • United States Jim Kitchen
  • United States George Nield
  • United States Gary Lai
10 minutes, 4 seconds Space tourism mission. Fourth crewed flight of New Shepard. Comedian Pete Davidson was originally expected to be on board, but was unable to fly due to a launch date change. Davidson was replaced by New Shepard chief architect Gary Lai. Five other paying passengers were on board.[11] Success
NS-21 4 June 2022, 13:25 4 June 2022, 13:35
  • United States Evan Dick
  • United States Katya Echazarreta
  • United Kingdom Hamish Harding
  • Brazil Victor Correa Hespanha
  • United States Jaison Robinson
  • United States Victor Vescovo
Space tourism mission. Fifth crewed flight of New Shepard. Crew included NS-19 crew member Evan Dick, and undersea explorer Victor Vescovo.[12] Success
NS-22 4 August 2022, 13:56 4 August 2022, 14:06
  • United States Coby Cotton
  • Portugal Mário Ferreira
  • United States Vanessa O'Brian
  • United States Clint Kelly III
  • Egypt Sara Sabry
  • United States Steve Young
10 minutes, 22 seconds Space tourism mission. Sixth crewed flight of New Shepard. Crew included first Portuguese person and first Egyptian person in space.[13] Success

References

  1. Burghardt, Thomas (2021-01-14). "Blue Origin tests New Shepard capsule upgrades on NS-14 mission" (in en-US). https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/01/blue-origin-test-upgrades-ns-14/. 
  2. "Blue Origin's New Shepard spaceship aces uncrewed rehearsal for crewed space trips" (in en-US). 2021-01-14. https://www.geekwire.com/2021/blue-origins-new-shepard-spaceship-aces-uncrewed-rehearsal-crewed-flight-space/. 
  3. "Mission NS-14" (in en). https://www.blueorigin.com/events/ns-14. 
  4. Sheetz, Michael (2021-04-14). "Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches and lands rocket New Shepard, as it prepares to launch people" (in en). https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/14/watch-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-launch-new-shepard-ns-15-livestream.html. 
  5. Roulette, Joey (2021-07-20). "Blue Origin successfully sends Jeff Bezos and three others to space and back" (in en). https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/20/22582735/blue-origin-jeff-bezos-space-launch-landing. 
  6. Leinfelder, Andrea (2021-07-20). "With Jeff Bezos on board, Blue Origin launches first crewed spaceflight from West Texas" (in en-US). https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/space/article/blue-origin-jeff-bezos-west-texas-launch-rocket-16326221.php. 
  7. "Blue Origin rocket malfunctions, triggers dramatic but safe abort for unpiloted New Shepard capsule" (in en-US). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/blue-origin-rocket-malfunctions-triggers-dramatic-but-safe-abort-for-unpiloted-new-shepard-capsule/. 
  8. "Jeff Bezos launches to space aboard New Shepard rocket ship" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2021-07-20. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57849364. 
  9. "Blue Origin successfully and safely completes second human flight to space and back" (in en). https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-18-mission-updates. 
  10. "Blue Origin Completes Third Human Spaceflight" (in en). https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-19-mission-updates. 
  11. "Blue Origin's 20th Mission to Space" (in en). https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-20-mission-announcement. 
  12. "New Shepard Mission NS-21 to Fly Six Customer Astronauts, Including First Mexican-Born Woman to Visit Space". http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=60093. [yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  13. "First Egyptian and Portuguese Astronauts to join Dude Perfect Cofounder on New Shepard’s 22nd Flight" (in en-US). https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-22-mission-announcement.