By Matthew Roscoe • Updated: 12 Sep 2022 • 17:50
WATCH: Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin suffers launch failure over Texas during NS23 mission. Image: @ahenk75/Twitter
Videos emerged online on Monday, September 12 showing Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket experiencing a launch failure over their West Texas facility this morning on the NS23 mission.
According to commentators online, the capsule’s escape rockets fired, separating from the booster.
“No crew was aboard,” author Dave Dickinson wrote on Twitter. “Would’ve been a hell of a flight.”
.@blueorigin's #NewShepard rocket experienced a launch anomaly over their West Texas facility this AM on the #NS23 mission — the capsule's escape rockets fired, separating from the booster. No crew was aboard, will tweet as we know more. Would've been a hell of a flight. pic.twitter.com/nsGJVIU1O9 — Dave Dickinson (@Astroguyz) September 12, 2022
.@blueorigin's #NewShepard rocket experienced a launch anomaly over their West Texas facility this AM on the #NS23 mission — the capsule's escape rockets fired, separating from the booster. No crew was aboard, will tweet as we know more. Would've been a hell of a flight. pic.twitter.com/nsGJVIU1O9
— Dave Dickinson (@Astroguyz) September 12, 2022
Scott Manley said: “It does look to me like the engine exhaust flashed a couple of times prior to failure, which could indicate engine rich exhaust prior to engine failure. Great demo of the crew escape system.”
He added: “It was also around MaxQ so they would have been changing the throttle on the engine, sometimes that means passing through engine operating speeds which are not kind to the hardware, I don’t know enough about BE-3 to know if this is a possibility.”
It was also around MaxQ so they would have been changing the throttle on the engine, sometimes that means passing through engine operating speeds which are not kind to the hardware, I don’t know enough about BE-3 to know if this is a possibility. — Scott Manley (@DJSnM) September 12, 2022
It was also around MaxQ so they would have been changing the throttle on the engine, sometimes that means passing through engine operating speeds which are not kind to the hardware, I don’t know enough about BE-3 to know if this is a possibility.
— Scott Manley (@DJSnM) September 12, 2022
The uncrewed mission was dedicated to the transportation of scientific payloads and STEM education.
In fact, the New Shepard was carrying 36 payloads, which as noted by Geek Wire, were funded by NASA.
The news outlet also noted that tens of thousands of postcards were ‘sent in by students and flown courtesy of Blue Origin’s educational foundation.’
Laura Seward Forczyk wrote: “Things don’t always go as planned. I’m so glad to see parachutes, at least! Hopefully they can recover a lot of data and use it to improve uncrewed and crewed New Shepard launches. #NS23”
“My heart goes out to the researchers who were hoping to get valuable data on #NS23. Suborbital science can be very useful, especially when combined with drop towers, reduced gravity flights, and orbital missions.
“And best of luck to @blueorigin with failure analysis.”
My heart goes out to the researchers who were hoping to get valuable data on #NS23. Suborbital science can be very useful, especially when combined with drop towers, reduced gravity flights, and orbital missions. And best of luck to @blueorigin with failure analysis. — Laura Seward Forczyk 🌙💫🚀 (@LauraForczyk) September 12, 2022
My heart goes out to the researchers who were hoping to get valuable data on #NS23. Suborbital science can be very useful, especially when combined with drop towers, reduced gravity flights, and orbital missions.
And best of luck to @blueorigin with failure analysis.
— Laura Seward Forczyk 🌙💫🚀 (@LauraForczyk) September 12, 2022
Another person said: “.@blueorigin The booster for #NS23 is a pile of junk now, right? Any plans to release the footage of its #RUD? Btw, the safety features worked seemingly very well! Congrats for that!”
.@blueorigin The booster for #NS23 is a pile of junk now, right?Any plans to release the footage of its #RUD?Btw, the safety features worked seemingly very well! Congrats for that! — R.I.P. T W I T T E R (@FrankLassowski) September 12, 2022
.@blueorigin The booster for #NS23 is a pile of junk now, right?Any plans to release the footage of its #RUD?Btw, the safety features worked seemingly very well! Congrats for that!
— R.I.P. T W I T T E R (@FrankLassowski) September 12, 2022
“Isn’t Blue Origin Bezos’ project? Too many billionaires in the rocket game,” another person said.
Isn't Blue Origin Bezos' project? Too many billionaires in therocket game. BREAKING! Blue Origin has a launch failure during NS23. The launch-abort system removed the capsule from the New Shepard Rocket. This was an uncrewed flight with 36 payloads aboard. "We’re responding pic.twitter.com/f9VKthfDIo — 💫Queen of Seventeen ✝️❤️🇺🇲🥃 (@AreYouAwaQe) September 12, 2022
Isn't Blue Origin Bezos' project?
Too many billionaires in therocket game.
BREAKING! Blue Origin has a launch failure during NS23. The launch-abort system removed the capsule from the New Shepard Rocket. This was an uncrewed flight with 36 payloads aboard.
"We’re responding pic.twitter.com/f9VKthfDIo
— 💫Queen of Seventeen ✝️❤️🇺🇲🥃 (@AreYouAwaQe) September 12, 2022
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Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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