Launch Photos! Blue Origin's New Shepard Soars on NS-10 Flight for NASA
Blue Origin Flies Again!
On Jan. 23, 2019, the private spaceflight company Blue Origin launched its New Shepard rocket and capsule on NS-10, its tenth mission yet, and aced a landing. See launch photos here!
On the Pad
In this view, New Shepard stands atop the launchpad on the eve of launch.
A Plume of Smoke
Here's a closer view of New Shepard just 10 seconds after the launch sequence initiated.
A Scenic View
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket soars over West Texas shortly after liftoff.
Deploying the Parachutes
After separating from the rocket booster, the New Shepard capsule deployed its parachutes and began its descent back to Earth.
Coasting Back to Earth
The New Shepard crew capsule gently floats back down to Earth with the help of its three parachutes.
A Close Call?
Blue Origin's drone camera looks like it got a little too close for comfort while providing a live stream of the mission. In this photo, the booster is just moments away from touching down back on the ground.
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Touchdown!
A cloud of dirt billows around the New Shepard crew capsule as it touches down on the dusty Texas plains. From liftoff to the capsule's landing, the entire mission lasted 10 minutes and 15 seconds.
Parachutes Drift Down
New Shepard's parachutes slowly settle into the dirt after the crew capsule touched down.
Landing Success
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket stands tall after sticking an upright landing.
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Hanneke Weitering is a multimedia journalist in the Pacific Northwest reporting on the future of aviation at FutureFlight.aero and Aviation International News and was previously the Editor for Spaceflight and Astronomy news here at Space.com. As an editor with over 10 years of experience in science journalism she has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy. She currently lives in Seattle, home of the Space Needle, with her cat and two snakes. In her spare time, Hanneke enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains, basking in nature and looking for dark skies to gaze at the cosmos.