Blue Origin successfully tests security measure on New Shepard space flight

Blue Origin, the space company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, tested for the first time on Wednesday a security measure that would allow passengers to escape at high altitudes if the rocket fails.

The New Shepard rocket had a passenger capsule with its own motor, separate from the booster, for a quick getaway. After an escape, this capsule stabilizes above the space limit of 100 kilometers to prevent inconvenience for the passengers. The capsule then lands back on Earth with the help of three parachutes. The test is considered a step to make it possible to take people on the flight safely.

Everything went smoothly during the test. The booster and capsule both landed on the Earth’s surface after a few minutes apart, near the launch site in the US state of Texas. It was the third time this New Shepard rocket had gone into space. It came with a doll called Mannequin Skywalker, which the company wanted to use to test how it looked and how much pressure the body would endure.

Ultimately, Blue Origin wants to make space tourism possible. The company hopes to start with human passengers by the end of this year, with its own employees first. After that, it will start selling the short space trip to paying customers. It is still unknown exactly how much a ticket will cost. The spacecraft ascends to an altitude slightly above the 60-mile mark, before returning to Earth. The whole process only takes a few minutes.