Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast. This is a show where we discuss. The critical. Crossroads. The shape SpaceX. Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink and I'm your host Will Walden. Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin is set to resume human space flights of its New Shepherd rocket on May 19th, marking a return to suborbital space travel after nearly two years. In this upcoming launch, designated NS-25 will lift off from West TX and carry a six
person crew. The event shows the Blue Origins. Renewed engagement of space tourism and research missions followed a series of setbacks and rigorous safety reassessments. Now the crew for NS-25 mission includes several notable figures such as Ed Dwight, who was the first black astronaut candidate in the US. Despite his historical significance, this flight will be Dwight's first journey into
space. Other crew members include Mason Angel, an investor with a focus on space and defense industries, and several other citizens with diverse backgrounds ranging from entrepreneurs to retired professionals. This marks the 7th launch of a crewed mission for the New Shepherd vehicle and comes after a pause in operations due to a mishap during an uncrewed flight in 2022. The anomaly occurred approximately a minute after launch, leading to the loss of the rocket booster.
Though the capsule safely parachuted back to Earth, the 2022 incident necessitated A thorough investigation by Blue Origin under the oversight of the FAA. Findings from March 2023 revealed that the mishap was caused by excessive temperatures that led to catastrophic thermal damage to the BE 3:00 PM engines nozzle.
Now, after an extensive review and the implementation of 21 corrective actions as mandated by the FAA, Blue Origin managed to resume flights with a successful uncrewed mission in December of 2023. This mission carried 33 payloads to suborbital space and was crucial in providing the vehicle's readiness for renewed passenger flights. Now, Blue Origins Operational Pause allowed competitors like Virgin Galactic to advance their commercial Space Flight efforts
unimpeded. Origin Galactic has continued to launch successful flights, showing that there's a competitive nature going on right now with space tourism. Blue Origins New Shepherd rocket is fully reusable, designed for both cargo and crude mission. The rocket and its capsule are capable of reaching the Carmen line. It's about 62 miles above the Earth. It provides passengers with brief periods of weightlessness and stunning views of the planet against the backdrop of space.
You can see the curve of the planet Earth from up there now. The flight profile for New Shepherd missions is concise. The total experience lasting is approximately 11 minutes from launch to capsule touchdown. This quick journey provides an intense but fleeting astronaut experience to his passengers.
NS-25's upcoming flight will contribute to Blue Origins ongoing efforts to expand its role in space tourism alongside other major projects like the development of the new Glen Heavy lift rocket, the Blue Moon lunar Lander, and the Blue Ring maneuverable spacecraft. And the success of Blue Origins missions has broader implications for the commercial spaceflight industry, showing that they are reliable and there's safety in space travel going forward.
And each successful mission bolsters the company's reputation and the overall feasibility of commercial space tourism. Now, the return of crude flight is particularly significant for Blue Origin, given the high profile nature of past passengers such as Jeff Bezos himself, William Shatner and Michael Strahan. Now these missions have not only provided remarkable experiences, but have also served as high visibility endorsements of
commercial space travel. Now, Blue Origin has also been a part of significant research missions contributing to scientific studies and experiments in a microgravity environment. These missions provide valuable data that can be used to enhance our understanding of space and improve future technologies. The pricing strategy for Blue Origin space flights remains particularly opaque. Though the auction for the first ever ticket reached $28 million.
This high figure reflects both the novelty of the experience and limited availability of seats, which may decrease with increased flight frequency, and also competition from places like Virgin Galactic and now with SpaceX, you can do a full flight on a SpaceX rocket and a Crew Dragon capsule, where you will orbit the Earth numerous times. And as Blue Origin prepares for the NS-25 mission, the success
of this mission is crucial. That's just for Blue Origin, but also for validating the safety measures implemented after the 2022 anomaly. Following the NS-25, Blue Origin has plans for another suborbital tourism mission, indicating a regular more flights in the future.
Now this is pivotal for maintaining momentum and public interest in space tourism, and the competitive dynamics between Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and also SpaceX are likely to intensify as all these companies streamline their operations and enhance their offerings. These rivalries are expected to drive innovations and possibly reduce costs, making space tourism more accessible to a broader audience.
And with NS-25 mission from Blue Origin, they aim to reclaim its position in a space tourism market Has demonstrated its commitment to safety and innovation. This flight is not just a test of technological reliability, but also an opportunity to inspire the public and expand interest in space exploration. Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your support if. You could.
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