Blue Origin Just Launched New Shepard in Its First 'Astronaut Rehearsal'

Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft and crew capsule both land successfully

Blue Origin's New Shepard launch vehicle successfully landed on its landing pad at 12:57 PM EDT after a clockwork liftoff, following several delays. Minutes later, the crew vehicle with a human mannequin inside also landed — after deploying parachutes.

The capsule touched down at 12:59 PM EDT.

Blue Origin's 'Astronaut Rehearsal' launch was successful

Though the NS-15 test flight didn't have a human crew onboard, Blue Origin aimed to test personnel — standing in as astronauts by entering the capsule before and after the flight.

Before launch, the astronauts climbed the launch tower, buckled themselves into their seats, and conducted communications tests by sending messages via the spacecraft's Capsule Communications (CAPCOM) in the command center.

Astronauts have climbed the launch tower and are now getting into their seats, buckling harnesses, and simulating capsule hatch close. They are also conducting a series of communication tests with Capsule Communications (CAPCOM). Watch live here: https://t.co/je6lcB8CdH

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 14, 2021

Six astronaut stand-ins climbed the tower, though only two individuals actually entered the spacecraft, whose hatch was not fully sealed during the rehearsal part of the pre-launch procedures.

This because the other seats were taken up by boxes of postcards from Blue Origin-founded nonprofit Club for Future, as well as the rather humorously named mannequin Mannequin Skywalker, who stood in for humans for the entirety of the launch.

The launch countdown was put on hold several times as the stand-ins carried out several steps of the rehearsal. Though the tower operations team closed the capsule hatch with the astronaut stand-ins inside, the individuals left the reusable vehicle before launch.

Once the New Shepard rocket returns to Earth, the same "astronauts" will enter the capsule once again to rehearse the hatch opening.

Blue Origin aims to lift humans into space

Blue Origin's New Shepard booster and capsule system was originally devised in the mid-2000s with suborbital space tourism in mind. The first flight of the company's rival to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, the New Glenn orbital rocket, was recently delayed to the fourth quarter of 2022.

The New Shepard vehicle's 14th test flight, NS-14, took place in January and was the first time the company tested its redesigned six-seater crew capsule. At the time of that unveiling, NBC News explained that Blue Origin was hoping to conduct its first human spaceflight in early April. Though that didn't happen, this mission brings Blue Origin one step closer to becoming the second private enterprise, after SpaceX, to send astronauts into orbit.

This was a breaking story and was regularly updated as new information became available.