#NS23 has 36 payloads on board, many of which are testing important science that will benefit our future life in space for the benefit of Earth. A thread about some of the symbolism embedded in the mission patch:
The colors 🎨 signify @UF’s BISS payload that explores space travel’s effect on plants.
The plant roots 🌱 represent @SpaceLabTech’s LilyPond hydroponics system that tests watering crops in space.
The lightning bolts ⚡ exemplify @UCF’s ERIE experiment which evaluates the behavior of particles that obtain charge in space.
The yellow hexagon symbolizes @Honeybee_Ltd’s ASSET-1 payload that studies planetary soil strength.
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The #NS21 crew is inside the Astronaut Training Center doing final preparations for their flight to space. Learn more about who’s onboard today:
Evan Dick, a crew member on #NS19, embarks on his second #NewShepard flight today. He’s an ATP-rated pilot, an avid sailor and motorcyclist, and a volunteer for Starfighters Aerospace.
.@hespanha_victor is a civil production engineer and will become the second Brazilian citizen to fly to space. Victor’s #NS21 seat is sponsored by @cryptospaceage.
PQE-602 was the first of Blue Origin’s flight-configuration BE-4 engines that we assembled and tested, achieving consistent and repeated mission duty cycle hotfires for over 2,500 seconds of test.
PQE-900 accumulated over 5,000 seconds of test & 36 starts, while completing combustion stability rating, engine gimbal & engine restart. After minor refurbishment, it will be the first BE-4 tested at the historic Marshall Space Flight Center Test Stand 4670 since its renovation.
PQE-802 characterized unit to unit variation in the different flight-configuration builds. This engine configuration achieved sustained 104% power level operation (572,000 lbf thrust).
Our #NS18 crew has arrived onsite at Launch Site One and getting suited up for the flight. Liftoff is on track for 9:00 am CDT / 14:00 UTC. Live broadcast on BlueOrigin.com begins at T-90 minutes. A thread:
@cboshuizen's career has been dedicated to pushing the boundaries of space and igniting youth excitement in pursuing careers in STEM. Today he realizes a life-long dream to go to space.
@CaptainClinical has a true passion for aviation and space and hopes that viewing Earth from space will provide a unique perspective on this pale blue dot we call home.
#NewShepard is go for launch! The mission team has completed the Flight Readiness Evaluation prior to #NS18. This is our final meeting with the engineers and Mission Control team to ensure all systems are go for launch. A thread:
Lead flight director Nick Patrick sat down with Ariane Cornell this morning to provide a status update on the #NS18 mission and our approach to safety. Check it out: bit.ly/3BMY0le
Forecasted winds at launch have subsided and weather currently looks good for Wednesday. Liftoff is now targeted for 9:00 am CDT / 14:00 UTC due to forecasted winds at rollout.
Liftoff is on track for 8:00 am CDT / 13:00 UTC. Live broadcast begins at T-90 minutes on BlueOrigin.com. A thread:
Today marks the first time in history a commercial company will launch a privately funded and built spacecraft from a private launch range with astronauts on board.
Following today’s mission, crew member Wally Funk, 82, will be the oldest person to have flown in space. And Oliver Daemen, 18, will be the youngest.