Uncrewed Blue Origin Mission Suffers Booster Failure

The uncrewed Blue Origin mission NS-23 suffered a booster failure shortly after launch Monday. While the booster was lost, the capsule escape system performed as designed and the payloads were recovered.

Video posted to the company website shows the uncrewed Blue Origin mission ascending over the west Texas launch site when the rocket appears to fail. The escape system then fires and the capsule is carried away from the booster before its parachutes deploy. The cameras follow the capsule all the way to the ground.

"We're responding to an issue this morning at our Launch Site One location in West Texas. This was a payload mission with no astronauts on board. The capsule escape system functioned as designed. More information to come as it is available," the company posted on its website.

Uncrewed Blue Origin Mission was Ninth for the Booster

The NS-23 uncrewed Blue Origin mission was the ninth flight for the booster that failed. In a statement, the FAA said it would oversee the investigation of the "mishap". “No injuries or public property damage have been reported,” the FAA said in the statement, noting the booster landed within a designated “hazard” area. “Before the New Shepard vehicle can return to flight, the FAA will determine whether any system, process or procedure related to the mishap affected public safety.”

The uncrewed Blue Origin carried 6 payloads from academia, research institutions, and students across the globe. The mission brings the total number of commercial payloads flown on the vehicle to more than 150. Two of the payloads will fly on the exterior of the New Shepard booster for ambient exposure to the space environment. Eighteen of the payloads on this flight are funded by NASA, primarily by the Flight Opportunities program.

This was the fourth flight for the New Shepard program this year, and the first dedicated payload flight since NS-17 in August 2021.

(Source: Blue Origin. Images from company video)