The unmanned launch of the New Shepard suborbital system failed due to premature engine failure. This led to the activation of the emergency rescue system, which shot the capsule of the spacecraft from the accelerator, after which it landed on parachutes.
The last launch was the 23rd for the New Shepard system. It was originally planned in August, but then postponed due to bad weather. There were 36 different loads from a number of commercial customers on board the spacecraft.
The anomaly occurred about a minute after launch, when New Shepard was preparing to overcome the sound barrier. Judging by the footage from the broadcast, the jet from the BE-3 engine installed on the accelerator changed shape and color, and then it completely turned off. It happened at an altitude of 8500 meters.
The engine shutdown triggered the emergency rescue system: the capsule of the spacecraft separated, after which it made a soft landing on parachutes. As for the accelerator, it crashed. It was its ninth flight.
Blue Origin has already launched an investigation into the causes of the accident. The company notes that the spacecraft’s emergency rescue system worked normally — and if there were people on board the New Shepard, they would not have been injured.
Recall: since July last year, New Shepard has made six tourist flights, bringing a total of 31 people above the Pocket line — the conditional boundary of outer space.
According to https://www.blueorigin.com
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