Blue Origin will launch its 29th New Shepard mission, an uncrewed research flight simulating lunar gravity conditions. The flight will test various lunar technologies and is supported by NASA.
Blue Origin successfully launched its second human-rated New Shepard vehicle on an uncrewed flight on October 23, 2024. The mission marked a significant achievement with the flawless landing of both the crew capsule and the rocket. Blue Origin is gearing up for its 29th New Shepard suborbital vehicle mission, scheduled for an uncrewed research flight next week. The launch is set for January 28, 2023, at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT; 10 a.m. local Texas time) from Blue Origin 's West Texas launch site.
This particular mission will simulate lunar gravity conditions.While New Shepard is renowned for carrying paying customers on brief trips to suborbital space, NS-29 deviates from this norm. The capsule will be packed with 30 research payloads, with the vast majority (all but one) focused on testing technologies relevant to lunar exploration. Blue Origin emphasizes this as a first for New Shepard, made possible through collaboration with NASA. The flight will rigorously test six key lunar technology areas: in-situ resource utilization, dust mitigation, advanced habitation systems, sensors and instrumentation, small spacecraft technologies, and entry, descent, and landing. New Shepard will generate lunar gravity forces by activating its reaction-control thrusters, causing it to rotate approximately 11 times per minute. Notably, more than half of the 30 payloads onboard NS-29 are supported by NASA's Flight Opportunities Program, highlighting the agency's significant involvement in the mission. Additionally, four payloads belong to Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin subsidiary specializing in off-Earth exploration.
Blue Origin New Shepard Lunar Gravity Research Flight NASA
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