It’s been a year and a half since Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket failed mid-flight, and more than two years since its last manned flight. Now, the company is preparing to send six humans into space. The company’s launch window begins at 6:30 a.m. PT/9:30 a.m. ET, but the livestream will begin 40 minutes earlier on its website.
Blue Origin also typically streams launch events on its YouTube channel, so it’s safe to assume it will be live streaming the NS-25 mission tomorrow. Assuming the launch goes as planned, it will carry six passengers, including 90-year-old Ed Dwight, the first black U.S. astronaut candidate who has never been to space. Other passengers included Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller and Gopi Thotakura.
The Federal Aviation Administration concluded its investigation into the accident last September, requiring Blue Origin to take 21 corrective actions, including redesigning engine and nozzle parts, to prevent future failures. In December, Blue Origin launched 33 science payloads from NASA and other agencies into space. Subsequently, the capsule and booster were successfully recovered.
