Blue Origin Retires New Shepard Capsule After 12 Successful Missions
Blue Origin has announced the retirement of its New Shepard capsule, RSS H.G. Wells, after a long and productive service life. The final flight, NS-35, took place on October 23, 2023, carrying over 40 payloads, including student experiments and research from various institutions.
RSS H.G. Wells, named after the renowned science fiction author, first took flight in December 2017. It flew a total of 12 missions, all uncrewed, carrying only cargo. The capsule reached an impressive peak altitude of 105 kilometers on each flight, typical for the New Shepard vehicle. Despite a propulsion module failure during the NS-23 mission in September 2022, the capsule landed safely. Blue Origin has since built new capsules for crewed missions, leading to the retirement of RSS H.G. Wells after nearly eight years of service. The NS-35 mission, originally scheduled for August 23, was scrubbed twice due to booster avionics issues before successfully launching on October 23.
Blue Origin's RSS H.G. Wells capsule has been retired after 12 successful missions, carrying numerous payloads and contributing significantly to the company's suborbital flight program. As of October 2023, there are no specific plans to display the retired capsule at a particular location. However, Blue Origin has expressed plans to create museums or exhibition sites to showcase their achievements in the future.
