Sat, Sep 03, 2011
Test Vehicle Went Out Of Control, Was Destroyed
The recent test of an unmanned spacecraft funded by Internet
billionaire Jeff Bezos ended with the the vehicle being destroyed
shortly after launch.
New Shepard File Image
U.S. Government and industry officials said the sub-orbital
vertical launch vehicle being tested by Blue Origin LLC went out of
control at about 45,000 feet and was destroyed as a precaution. The
remains of the spacecraft are being examined to try to determine
why the test launch failed.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the launch failure
could not only be a problem for Bezos, who made his fortune as the
founder and CEO of Amazon.com, but also for the Obama
Administration, which is counting on commercial companies to
develop spacecraft that will eventually carry cargo and crews to
the ISS.
An FAA spokesman said the launch was "conducted under an
experimental permit." Bezos has been fairly secretive about Blue
Origin, which is headquartered in Kent, WA, and operates from an
isolated "spaceport" near the small Texas town of Van Horn.
Blue Origin has received more than $25 million in grants from
NASA as part of the Commercial Crew Development program. The
company's website describes the "New Shepard" vehicle as
"rocket-propelled vehicle designed to routinely fly multiple
astronauts" at "competitive prices." The New Shepard vehicle is
designed to be a multiple use spacecraft which will return
vertically to earth. Blue Origin says on its webstie that manned
flights could begin as early as next year. NASA's most recent grant
to the company describes a spacecraft which could carry as many as
seven astronauts to the station. It was targeted for development of
an engine, heat shield, and crew-escape system. Government
officials said federal dollars were not used on the test spacecraft
which failed last week.
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