Blue Origin's Successful Return to Flight Marks 15-Month Hiatus

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket successfully flew for the first time in 15 months, following an engine failure that destroyed the rocket on its previous flight. The suborbital flight, which did not carry passengers, included 33 payloads from NASA, research institutions, and commercial companies. The rocket reached an altitude of over 347,000 feet before the booster landed precisely and the capsule deployed parachutes for a controlled landing. Blue Origin plans to increase its flight cadence in 2024 and resume human missions "soon." The company aims to open New Shepard missions to researchers in the future.