Blue Origin Beats SpaceX to Rocket Landing, but SpaceX Is Aiming Higher

BLUE Origin has successfully landed a suborbital rocket back at its launch site, a key step in its drive to make reusable rockets, the company said on Tuesday.

He had announced that a company he owns, Blue Origin, would soon be running test flights for its New Shepard spaceship, with a capacity for six people.

New Shepard launched from the company's West Texas test site at 12:21 p.m. Eastern time November 23, reaching a peak altitude of 100.5 kilometers and top speed of Mach 3.72.

According to a thrilling new video released by Blue Origin, the private spaceflight company launched its New Shepard rocket to the edge of space and then land it back on the planet during the vehicle's first successful unscrewed reusability test Monday. "Full reuse is a game-changer, and we can't wait it fuel up and fly again".

Such re-usable rockets could bring down the cost of space travel to an unprecedented price point. Just prior to landing, the booster re-ignited its BE-3 engine which slowed the vehicle to 7.1 kilometers per hour for "a gentle, controlled" vertical landing, only 4.5 feet (1.37 meters) from the center of the pad.

Other companies including SpaceX are attempting similar feats, with Elon Musk's firm still aiming at landing its Falcon 9 rocket on a water-borne platform after sending a supply ship to the International Space Station.

Indeed, Musk's SpaceX has also been attempting to develop reusable rockets, but has failed in a number of missions this year. Now let's check out today's voyage of the New Shepard. Blue Origin has not started selling tickets or decided the cost of a flight, which will provide about four minutes of floating.

The same technology is to be used in a larger Blue Origin rocket that is being launched to orbit from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Bezos is best known for being the founder of Amazon.com and changing the way I buy things forever.

SpaceX has tried on several occasions to land its rockets on Earth undamaged, but weather and technical problems have prevented it from doing so.

The effort was congratulated by SpaceX's Elon Musk.

The rocket landed just 1.4 meters from the center of the launch pad, Bezos said.