Blue Origin is preparing for the uncrewed NS-27 mission scheduled for October 23, 2024, at 11 a.m. EDT from its West Texas Suborbital Launch Site. This mission will deploy a new New Shepard rocket-capsule combination on a short suborbital flight.
The NS-27 mission will introduce the RSS Kármán Line capsule and Booster 5, featuring technology upgrades aimed at enhancing performance and reusability. The mission will carry 12 payloads, with five on the booster and seven inside the capsule, including new navigation systems for both New Shepard and New Glenn, LIDAR sensors for the Lunar Permanence program, and ultra-wideband sensors as part of a NASA TechFlights grant.
This flight follows previous scrubs due to technical issues, with the most recent attempt on October 7 being postponed. Blue Origin aims to meet increasing customer demand for suborbital flights, having already conducted eight crewed missions using the previous vehicle configuration.
The weather forecast for the launch day indicates a temperature of 71°F with broken clouds and light winds, suggesting favorable launch conditions. This mission marks a significant step in Blue Origin's ongoing efforts to expand its capabilities in commercial spaceflight.