Bezos rocket carrying experiments fails during liftoff
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Cape Canaveral, Fla.: On Monday, Jeff Bezos' rocket business experienced its first launch failure. Only scientific experiments were on board.
About a minute after takeoff, the Blue Origin rocket drifted off course over West Texas. The launch abort system of the capsule activated instantly, lifting the vehicle off the top. The capsule parachutes into the desolate desert floor a few minutes later.
When the capsule was launched off the rocket, Blue Origin's launch commentary stopped, but they later made an announcement saying, "It appears we've experienced an anomaly with today's flight. This wasn't planned."
The accident happened as the rocket was flying at an approximate 28,000-foot altitude at roughly 700 mph (1,126 kph) (8,500 meters). Following the failure, only a video of the capsule was shown, not one of the rocket. Usually, the rocket is recycled when it lands upright on the desert floor, but this time, that obviously did not happen.l, Associated Press reported.
The webcast showed the capsule escaping successfully and reaching a maximum height of more than 37,000 feet, according to launch commentator Erika Wagner (11,300 meters). On board were 36 experiments, half of which were funded by NASA.
"Booster failure on today's uncrewed flight. Escape system performed as designed," the company tweeted later.
Further details were not provided.
The New Shepard programme, named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard, flew for the 23rd time. For ten-minute trips to the edge of space, paying guests have been transported using the same type of rocket and capsule. It was this rocket's ninth flight.
Just one month ago, it conducted its most recent passenger flight. Last summer, Bezos flew on the inaugural New Shepard crew. Blue Origin has sent 31 passengers to the edge of space in all. The company headquarters is located in Kent, Washington.