Blue Origin’s latest rocket launch ended dramatically when a rocket booster exploded soon after lift-off.
The company, headed up by Jeff Bezos, claimed the capsule escape system worked as intended and the passenger compartment separated successfully, safely bringing the payload down to the ground.
“There are no reported injuries; all personnel have been accounted for,” the company said on Twitter.
Booster failure on today’s uncrewed flight. Escape system performed as designed. pic.twitter.com/xFDsUMONTh
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) September 12, 2022
It was the 23rd official mission for Blue Origin’s New Shepard, which was launched on September 12, 2022. The rocket was carrying a payload of scientific experiments, including a fluorescence imaging system to study how plants experience a trip to space, Blue Origin said.
New Shephard is a suborbital rocket designed to carry a capsule to an altitude of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles). Its first crewed flight occurred in July 2021, with Bezos and several other space tourists onboard.
