Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos posted an image on Instagram remaining close to his space organization’s New Shepard suborbital rocket booster after another successful flight test on Wednesday.
In a short caption, the billionaire wrote, “It’s time. #GradatimFerociter.” Gradadtim Ferociter is Blue Origin’s motto and is Latin for the expression: “Step by Step, Ferociously.”
Bezos likewise included two videos of the organization’s fifteenth continuous mission to space, named NS-15.
The uncrewed New Shepard launched from a West Texas launchpad at Blue Origin’s Launch Site One at 12:50 a.m. ET Wednesday.
“A huge congrats to the entire Blue Origin team on another successful #NewShepard launch. #GradatimFerociter,” Blue Origin tweeted following booster and capsule touchdown.
In a going with news release, Blue Origin said the 10-minute, 10-second test flight was used to “rehearse astronaut movements and operations for future flights with customers on board” and that the suborbital launch marked a “verification step” prior to flying with astronauts on board.
“For the first time, Blue Origin personnel standing in as astronauts entered the capsule prior to launch. These astronauts conducted a series of tests from within the capsule, including a comms check with the capsule communicator (CAPCOM), procedures for entering and exiting the capsule, and pre-launch preparations within the capsule,” it wrote. “Following the crew capsule landing, the astronauts rehearsed post-flight procedures, hatch opening, and exiting the capsule.”
Notwithstanding, it noticed that while the capsule remained uncrewed for the flight, test dummy Mannequin Skywalker was ready for the ride as well as in excess of 25,000 postcards from the association’s not-for-profit Club for the Future.
Later on, Blue Origin plans to launch upwards of six civilian passengers and The Verge wrote about Wednesday that the New Shepard missions had been continuously trying new hardware to cater to humans.
While the organization has not declared when it will fly people for the first time, human test flights were at first expected toward the finish of a year ago.
Bezos reported in February that he would resign from his position as Amazon CEO, changing to a role as the e-commerce giant’s executive chairman of the board.