Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, still plans to work in space tourism using its own New Shepard rocket. However, before the first passengers take off, the company will conduct at least two more test launches without a crew.
This week, Blue Origin filed an application for the next test flight with the Federal Communications Commission. According to available data, this test launch will take place no earlier than November of this year. Previously, Blue Origin has already completed ten test flights. However, the matter has not yet reached the launch of a spacecraft with passengers on board. The company originally announced that the first passengers would go into space in 2018. The launch of people into space was later postponed to 2019, but if Blue Origin conducts at least two more test launches, it is unlikely that the first space tourists will go into zero gravity this year.
Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith confirmed that the company is trying to make the upcoming flight as safe as possible. “We have to be careful and careful about all the systems that we need to test,” said Bob Smith.
Given that Blue Origin plans to send tourists into space, their desire to make the flight as safe as possible is understandable. Other commercial space launch companies, such as Boeing and SpaceX, have faced similar challenges and are still in the testing phase of their spacecraft.
Source: 3dnews.ru