Blue Origin makes historic second landing using the same rocket

The New Shepard rocket was the same one used in Blue Origin’s first powered landing flight in November (Credit: Blue Origin)

SpaceX isn’t the only private company racking up space firsts.

Having successfully flown to space and completed a powered landing last November, Blue Origin’s New Shepard booster on Friday became the first rocket to repeat the feat. According to Blue Origin founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the single stage rocket lifted from its West Texas launch site, flew straight up to an altitude of 333,582 ft (101.7 km), which is past the Karman line that designates the official beginning of space, then descended for an autonomous powered landing.

Building on lessons learned from New Shepard’s previous landing, the rocket’s autonomous piloting system was tweaked to favor a more stable landing over a precision touchdown. While it initially tries to land on the exact center of the target, it is programed to tolerate a certain amount of drift – much in the same way as a pilot prioritizes touching down safely on the runway rather than lurching at the last second to center the white line.

“I’m a huge fan of rocket-powered vertical landing,” writes Bezos. “Why?

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