Blue Origin Set to Resume New Shepard Suborbital Launches After 15-Month Hiatus
Blue Origin is set to resume its New Shepard suborbital launches with the NS-24 mission, following a mishap over 15 months ago. The uncrewed flight, scheduled for no earlier than December 18, will carry 33 experiments and 38,000 postcards. The mishap investigation concluded that a structural failure of the BE-3PM engine's nozzle caused the problem. The Federal Aviation Administration identified 21 corrective actions for Blue Origin to undertake before flying again. The long delay in returning New Shepard to flight had led to speculation about the company's priorities, but it has since won a NASA contract and continued work on other projects.