In Photos: Blue Origin's New Shepard 2.0 Aces Maiden Test Flight

Liftoff!

Blue Origin

Jeff Bezos' spaceflight company Blue Origin performed the first successful test flight of its next-gen New Shepard suborbital vehicle on Dec. 12, 2017. Read our full story here and check out photos from the mission here. This Image: Blue Origin's New Shepard 2.0 vehicle launches from a West Texas launch pad during its first suborbital test flight, on Dec. 12, 2017.

Into the Blue

Blue Origin

New Shepard rises into the Texas skies.

Crew Capsule Separation

Blue Origin

The New Shepard crew capsule separates from the booster.

Coming Down

Blue Origin

The New Shepard propulsion module comes back down to Earth for a pinpoint landing.

Nearly There

Blue Origin

The New Shepard 2.0 booster approaches the landing pad on Dec. 12, 2017.

Successful Landing

Blue Origin

The propulsion module's engines kick up dust as the vehicle nears the ground.

Touchdown!

Blue Origin

The New Shepard booster aces its landing.

Floating Down to Earth

Blue Origin

The New Shepard crew capsule floats back to the West Texas desert after a clean separation from the propulsion module.

Safe Landing

Blue Origin

The New Shepard crew capsule lands safely in the West Texas desert using two parachutes and a retrothrust system.

A Unique Design

Blue Origin

The New Shepard Crew Capsule 2.0 sports windows measuring 2.4 feet wide by 3.6 feet tall.

'Mannequin Skywalker' Safe and Sound

Blue Origin

Blue Origin's instrumented test dummy, dubbed "Mannequin Skywalker," had a good flight in the New Shepard Crew Capsule 2.0.

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Christine Lunsford
Producer and Contributing Writer

Christine Lunsford joined the Space.com team in 2010 as a freelance producer and later became a contributing writer, covering astrophotography images, astronomy photos and amazing space galleries and more. During her more than 10 years with Space.com, oversaw the site's monthly skywatching updates and produced overnight features and stories on the latest space discoveries. She enjoys learning about subjects of all kinds.