Blue Origin NS-17

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Blue Origin NS-17
Mission typeUncrewed sub-orbital spaceflight
Mission duration10 minutes, 15 seconds
Apogee105.89 km (65.80 mi)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft RSS H. G. Wells
Manufacturer Blue Origin
Start of mission
Launch date26 August 2021
Rocket New Shepard (NS3)
Launch site Corn Ranch, LS-1
ContractorBlue Origin
End of mission
Landing date26 August 2021
Landing siteCorn Ranch
 

Blue Origin NS-17 was an uncrewed sub-orbital spaceflight mission of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, which launched on 26 August 2021. It was New Shepards 4th flight in 2021. It was also Blue Origin's 17th overall flight to go into space. [1] [2]

Contents

Flight

The vehicle lifted off at 14:31 UTC on 26 August 2021, from Launch Site 1 (LS-1) at Blue Origins' Corn Ranch launch site in Texas, United States. Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) occurred at T+2 minutes 24 seconds into the flight. At T+2:43, the capsule separated from the booster, at which point it began to experience Zero G, until T+5:33, giving the payloads 2 minutes and 50 seconds of Zero G. RSS H. G. Wells passed the Karman Line at T+3 minutes 30 seconds after launch, until T+4:39, spending a total of 1 minute, 9 seconds in space. The capsule reached apogee at T+4:06, reaching an altitude of 347,430 feet (105,896 meters), while the booster reached an apogee of 347,032 feet (105,775 meters). [3] [4] [5] The booster deployed its ring and wedge fins during descent, before reigniting its single BE-3 engine, coming to a near-hover and touching down at T+7 minutes 27 seconds into the flight on Blue Origin's North Landing Pad, ~3.3 km (~2 miles) away from the launch site. [6] [7] [8] At 09:41:15 CST (14:41:15 UTC) the crew capsule landed at the Corn Ranch site, 10 minutes, 15 seconds after liftoff. [9] The booster supporting this mission was New Shepard Booster 3 (NS3), a booster specifically dedicated to uncrewed cargo missions. This was its 8th total flight with a 317-day turnaround time, it was paired with the RSS H. G. Wells crew capsule on top for this flight. [10] [11]

Payload

There were 20 payloads on this mission, from NASA and commercial companies. These included a NASA lunar landing technology demonstration, which was placed on the exterior of the booster, 18 commercial payloads inside the crew capsule, of which 11 were supported by NASA, and an art installation on the exterior of the capsule. The capsule also carried thousands of postcards from the "Postcards to Space" program, run by the Club for the Future organization, a Blue Origin nonprofit. [12]

PayloadOperatorDescription
The Model Propellant

Gauging Experiment

 Carthage College Tests a new approach to measuring propellant

levels in spacecraft in the environment of space. [13]

OSCAR NASA Kennedy Space Center Tests how common spaceflight waste products can be reused. [14] [15]
Liquid Acquisition Device (LAD-3) Southwest Research Institute Demonstrates how liquid/vapor interfaces behave in microgravity. Applications include cryogenic propellant storage and management. [16]
Biological Imaging in Support of Suborbital Science University of Florida Tests an improved version of the BISS system, including autofocus and improved resolution. [17] [18]
Safe and Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) (aka Deorbit, Descent and Landing "DDL" Sensor Demonstration) NASA Tests precision landing capabilities for future moon landings. On this flight, a camera and a Doppler LIDAR, along with a high-performance computer were tested. Previously flown on Blue Origin NS-13. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

Related Research Articles

Human spaceflight programs have been conducted, started, or planned by multiple countries and companies. The age of crewed rocket flight was initiated by Fritz von Opel who piloted the world's first rocket-propelled flight on 30 September 1929. All space flights depend on rocket technology; von Opel was the co-designer and financier of the visionary project. Until the 21st century, human spaceflight programs were sponsored exclusively by governments, through either the military or civilian space agencies. With the launch of the privately funded SpaceShipOne in 2004, a new category of human spaceflight programs – commercial human spaceflight – arrived. By the end of 2022, three countries and one private company (SpaceX) had successfully launched humans to Earth orbit, and two private companies had launched humans on a suborbital trajectory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reusable launch vehicle</span> Vehicles that can go to space and return

A reusable launch vehicle has parts that can be recovered and reflown, while carrying payloads from the surface to outer space. Rocket stages are the most common launch vehicle parts aimed for reuse. Smaller parts such as rocket engines and boosters can also be reused, though reusable spacecraft may be launched on top of an expendable launch vehicle. Reusable launch vehicles do not need to make these parts for each launch, therefore reducing its launch cost significantly. However, these benefits are diminished by the cost of recovery and refurbishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Origin</span> American aerospace company

Blue Origin Enterprises, L.P. is an American aerospace manufacturer, defense contractor, launch service provider and space technologies company headquartered in Kent, Washington, United States. The company makes rocket engines for United Launch Alliance (ULA) and manufactures their own rockets, spacecraft, satellites, and heavy-lift launch vehicles. The company is the second provider of lunar lander services for NASA's Artemis program and was awarded a $3.4 billion contract. The company has four rocket engines in production including the BE-3U, BE-3PM, BE-4 and the BE-7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Launch escape system</span> A system to get the crew to safety if a rocket launch fails

A launch escape system (LES) or launch abort system (LAS) is a crew-safety system connected to a space capsule. It is used in the event of a critical emergency to quickly separate the capsule from its launch vehicle in case of an emergency requiring the abort of the launch, such as an impending explosion. The LES is typically controlled by a combination of automatic rocket failure detection, and a manual activation for the crew commander's use. The LES may be used while the launch vehicle is still on the launch pad, or during its ascent. Such systems are usually of three types:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Launch vehicle</span> Rocket used to carry a spacecraft into space

A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile-shaped multistage rocket, but the term is more general and also encompasses vehicles like the Space Shuttle. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, supported by a launch control center and systems such as vehicle assembly and fueling. Launch vehicles are engineered with advanced aerodynamics and technologies, which contribute to high operating costs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Shepard</span> Rocket developed by Blue Origin

New Shepard is a fully reusable sub-orbital launch vehicle developed for space tourism by Blue Origin. The vehicle is named after Alan Shepard, who became the first American to travel into space and the fifth person to walk on the Moon. The vehicle is capable of vertical takeoff and landings. Additionally, it is also capable of carrying humans and customer payloads into a sub-orbital trajectory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VTVL</span> Method of takeoff and landing used by rockets; vertical takeoff, vertical landing

Vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) is a form of takeoff and landing for rockets. Multiple VTVL craft have flown. The most widely known and commercially successful VTVL rocket is SpaceX's Falcon 9 first stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BE-3</span>

The BE-3 is a LH2/LOX rocket engine developed by Blue Origin.

New Glenn is a heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle in development by Blue Origin, named after NASA astronaut John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit Earth. Design work on the vehicle began in 2012; illustrations of the vehicle, and the high-level specifications, were initially publicly unveiled in September 2016. New Glenn is a two-stage rocket with a diameter of 7 m (23 ft). Its first stage will be powered by seven BE-4 engines that are also being designed and manufactured by Blue Origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billionaire space race</span> Billionaire space rivalry

The billionaire space race is the rivalry among entrepreneurs who have entered the space industry from other industries - particularly computing. This private spaceflight race involves sending privately developed rockets and vehicles to various destinations in space, often in response to government programs or to develop the space tourism sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 in spaceflight</span> Spaceflight-related events during the year 2021

This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2021. 2021 saw several spaceflight related records being set worldwide. This includes both the most orbital launch attempts and most successful orbital launches in a year. In addition, 2021 saw records set in the number of humans in orbit at one time and the most humans in space at one time.

The private aerospace company Blue Origin has a number of development, manufacturing, and test facilities in four US states: Washington, Texas, Florida, and Alabama.

A floating launch vehicle operations platform is a marine vessel used for launch or landing operations of an orbital launch vehicle by a launch service provider: putting satellites into orbit around Earth or another celestial body, or recovering first-stage boosters from orbital-class flights by making a propulsive landing on the platform.

RSS First Step is a New Shepard space capsule, built and operated by American spaceflight company Blue Origin. 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.

Blue Origin NS-23 was an uncrewed sub-orbital spaceflight mission of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, which launched on 12 September 2022. The booster failed during max q about a minute after launch, triggering the launch escape system which removed the capsule from the booster. The capsule landed successfully, while the booster was destroyed upon impact with the ground.

Gary Lai is an American aerospace engineer. He was the chief architect for New Shepard, a vehicle developed by aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin for space tourism. On March 31, 2022, he flew on New Shepard's 20th mission to space, NS-20. He is a Co-Founder and the Chief Technology Officer of a company called Interlune.

Blue Origin NS-24 was an uncrewed sub-orbital spaceflight mission of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, which launched on 20 December 2023. It was New Shepards first flight in over a year since the failure of Blue Origin NS-23. It was Blue Origin's 24th overall flight to go into space.

References

  1. ↑ Replay – New Shepard Mission NS-17 Webcast , retrieved 23 December 2023
  2. ↑ "New Shepard Mission NS-17 Launch Updates". Blue Origin. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Replay – New Shepard Mission NS-17 Webcast , retrieved 23 December 2023
  4. ↑ "New Shepard Mission NS-17 Launch Updates". Blue Origin. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Mike Wall (26 August 2021). "Blue Origin launches New Shepard to test moon landing tech and more in suborbital flight". Space.com. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Davenport, Justin (26 August 2021). "Blue Origin launches NS-17 suborbital science mission". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "New Shepard | NS-17". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  8. ↑ DeSisto, Austin (28 August 2021). "NS-17 | New Shepard". Everyday Astronaut. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Replay – New Shepard Mission NS-17 Webcast , retrieved 23 December 2023
  10. ↑ "New Shepard | NS-17". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Davenport, Justin (26 August 2021). "Blue Origin launches NS-17 suborbital science mission". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "New Shepard Mission NS-17 Launch Updates". Blue Origin. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "New Shepard Mission NS-17 Launch Updates". Blue Origin. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "New Shepard Mission NS-17 Launch Updates". Blue Origin. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  15. ↑ Faces of Technology: Meet Annie Meier , retrieved 23 December 2023
  16. ↑ "New Shepard Mission NS-17 Launch Updates". Blue Origin. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "New Shepard Mission NS-17 Launch Updates". Blue Origin. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "Biological Imaging in Support of Suborbital Science". Flight Opportunities. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  19. ↑ Davenport, Justin (26 August 2021). "Blue Origin launches NS-17 suborbital science mission". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  20. ↑ Etherington, Darrell (18 September 2020). "NASA to test precision automated landing system designed for the moon and Mars on upcoming Blue Origin mission". TechCrunch. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Rutishauser, David; Ramadorai, Ray; Prothro, John; Fleming, Thadeus; Fidelman, Peter (11 January 2021). "NASA and Blue Origin Collaborative Assessment of Precision Landing Algorithms and Computing". NTRS.
  22. ↑ Clark, Stephen. "A month after Bezos's flight, Blue Origin launches NASA moon tech demo – Spaceflight Now" . Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  23. ↑ DeSisto, Austin (28 August 2021). "NS-17 | New Shepard". Everyday Astronaut. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
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