Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket
Blue Origin aims to launch its New Shepard suborbital rocket next week, the first mission since an uncrewed crash in September 2022 set back the space company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. Here's how the rocket works when it takes passengers. VIDEOGRAPHIC
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00:06 At the top of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket,
00:09 there is a capsule fitted with large portholes
00:12 which can accommodate up to six people in reclinable seats.
00:15 The reusable rocket takes off vertically.
00:19 The capsule separates from the rocket at an altitude of 75 kilometres,
00:25 continuing its trajectory until it passes the Karman line at 100 kilometres,
00:30 which defines the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space.
00:34 When it takes passengers, they will be able to float in weightlessness
00:39 for about three minutes and observe the curvature of the Earth.
00:42 During this time, the rocket will descend to land gently on a runway,
00:47 kept in a vertical position.
00:48 The capsule will be in free fall,
00:52 break by three large parachutes and retro rockets before landing in the desert.
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