Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin launches first manned flight in 18 months

Blue Origin, the private space travel company owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, successfully completed its first manned launch since an engine failure grounded flights in late 2022.

Video Transcript

54, commanded and start 210, ignition get ripped off.

Ok. New Shepherd has clear and sour rocket and a restaurant are heading up to space.

Now, I understand that separation of the capsule from the booster has been confirmed and zero G has started for our astronauts landing gear deployed 50 ft 8 ft per second.

Ok. That's all all have started and touchdown.

Welcome home New Shepherd, but the show is not over.

The crew capsule has deployed its uh its guide parachutes and its mains, everything looking nominal on today's flight looks like we do have two parachutes that have full inflation.

The third is not quite fully inflated, but actually Jackie, this is, this is part of the design.

You'll also see the dust take out of the base of the of the capsule as she comes to land.

That is the air cushioning system that is going to kick up a lot of that West Texas dust you just talked about, but also there it is touch down of the crew capsule and here exits Ed Dwight.

This gentleman has waited a long time to go to space selected in the early sixties as the first black astronaut to fly.

Although he did not get to fly then today was his opportunity.

And man, what a flight for him.