Blue Origin Launch Photos: Reusable New Shepard Rocket's 3rd Test Flight

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Blue Origin's New Shepard Rocket

On April 2, 2016, the private spaceflight company Blue Origin launched its reusable New Shepard rocket and Crew Capsule for the third time and successfully landed them back on Earth. See photos from the test flight here. Read our full story.

Blue Origin New Shepard Vehicle Ascent

Blue Origin's New Shepard space vehicle ascends from its West Texas test site to reach an apogee of 339,138 feet (103 km) on April 2, 2016. Read our full story.

Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine Restart

Blue Origin's BE-3 engine restarted at 3,635 feet (1.1 km) above ground level and landed successfully at its West Texas launch site on April 2, 2016. Read our full story.

Blue Origin New Shepard Landing

Blue Origin claims precise thrust vector control and deep throttling enabled pinpoint booster landing of the New Shepard vehicle at its West Texas launch site on April 2, 2016. Read our full story.

Recovery of Blue Origin Crew Capsule

Blue Origin team members recover the crew capsule after its fifth successful flight and soft landing at its West Texas launch site on April 2, 2016. Read our full story.

Blue Origin Touchdown

The view of the Earth from 339,178 feet (103 km), captured by a camera on the New Shepard crew capsule during Saturday's (April 2) test flight. Read our full story.

New Shepard Earth View

The view of the Earth from 339,178 feet (103 km), captured by a camera on the New Shepard crew capsule during Saturday's (April 2) test flight. Read our full story.

New Shepard Rocket Landing

The New Shepard reusable rocket uses its thrusters to lower itself back to Earth. By landing vertically, the booster's structural integrity is maintained, and it can be reused.. Read our full story.

Inside the Crew Capsule

Blue Origin crew works on door to crew capsule — Jeff Bezos via Twitter

Blue Origin engineers ready the Crew Capsule for launch ahead of New Shepard's third unmanned flight test from West Texas on April 2, 2016 Read our full story.

Jeff Bezos' Lucky Boots

Jeff Bezos shot of boots — Jeff Bezos via Twitter

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos tweeted a photo of Gradatim Ferociter boots that he wore to the April 2 test launch, which he says brought him luck. They were a gift from a friend. Read our full story.

Turtles On the Door

Door of Blue Origin reusable rocket crew capsule, with four gray turtle drawings. — Jeff Bezos via Twitter

The reusable Crew Capsule on Blue Origin's New Shepard has tortoise emblems for each of its successful test flights. Read our full story.

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Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.