RSS First Step

{{infobox individual space vehicle

|name = RSS First Step

|type = Space capsule

|class = New Shepard crew capsule

|owner = Blue Origin

|manufacturer = Blue Origin

|rocket = New Shepard

|location = Van Horn, Texas

|first_flight_date = 14 January 2021

|first_flight = Blue Origin NS-14

|last_flight_date = Active

|last_flight =

|flights = 13

|previous = RSS H.G. Wells

|next = RSS Kármán Line

}}

RSS First Step (Reusable Space Ship First Step) is a New Shepard space capsule, built and operated by American spaceflight company Blue Origin.{{Cite web |last=Burghardt |first=Thomas |date=2021-01-14 |title=Blue Origin tests New Shepard capsule upgrades on NS-14 mission |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/01/blue-origin-test-upgrades-ns-14/ |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=NASASpaceFlight.com |language=en-US}} It is the third New Shepard capsule to fly to space, and the first to fly passengers. Its first flight was the NS-14 mission, which reached an altitude of {{cvt|107|km}} on 14 January 2021.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-14 |title=Blue Origin's New Shepard spaceship aces uncrewed rehearsal for crewed space trips |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2021/blue-origins-new-shepard-spaceship-aces-uncrewed-rehearsal-crewed-flight-space/ |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=GeekWire |language=en-US}}

History

RSS First Step is the third New Shepard capsule built by Blue Origin, and the first designed to carry passengers. It flew to space for the first time on 14 January 2021, during the NS-14 spaceflight. NS-14 also served as the maiden flight of the NS4 propulsion module.{{Cite web |title=Mission NS-14 |url=https://www.blueorigin.com/events/ns-14 |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=Blue Origin |language=en}} The following flight, NS-15, which was also flown uncrewed by First Step and NS4, tested boarding and deboarding in what Blue Origin called an "astronaut operational exercise."{{Cite web |last=Sheetz |first=Michael |date=2021-04-14 |title=Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches and lands rocket New Shepard, as it prepares to launch people |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/14/watch-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-launch-new-shepard-ns-15-livestream.html |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=CNBC |language=en}}

First Step flew Blue Origin's first crewed flight on 20 July 2021, carrying founder Jeff Bezos and three other passengers to space.{{Cite web |last=Roulette |first=Joey |date=2021-07-20 |title=Blue Origin successfully sends Jeff Bezos and three others to space and back |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/20/22582735/blue-origin-jeff-bezos-space-launch-landing |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=The Verge |language=en}} This made Texas the fourth state to launch humans into space,{{Cite web |last=Leinfelder |first=Andrea |date=2021-07-20 |title=With Jeff Bezos on board, Blue Origin launches first crewed spaceflight from West Texas |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/space/article/blue-origin-jeff-bezos-west-texas-launch-rocket-16326221.php |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=Houston Chronicle |language=en-US}} after Florida, California, and New Mexico. As of November 2022, it has flown five subsequent crewed spaceflights, carrying a total of 31 people into space, including one (Evan Dick) twice.

The New Shepard fleet was grounded from September 2022 until December 2023 due to a failure during the NS-23 mission. The capsule used during the mission, RSS H.G. Wells, managed to abort successfully, while the booster was destroyed. The next mission NS-24 (uncrewed) and the next crewed mission NS-25 took place following an investigation.{{Cite web |title=Blue Origin rocket malfunctions, triggers dramatic but safe abort for unpiloted New Shepard capsule |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/blue-origin-rocket-malfunctions-triggers-dramatic-but-safe-abort-for-unpiloted-new-shepard-capsule/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=www.cbsnews.com |date=12 September 2022 |language=en-US}}

Flights

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! Mission

! Launch date (UTC)

! Landing date (UTC)

! Crew

! Duration

! Remarks

! Outcome

NS-14

| 14 January 2021

| Uncrewed

| ~10 minutes

| style="text-align:left" |Uncrewed test flight. Maiden flight of NS4 propulsion module.

| {{Success}}

NS-15

| 14 April 2021

| Uncrewed

| ~10 minutes

| style="text-align:left" |Uncrewed test flight. Passenger process test conducted. Four Blue Origin employees serve as stand-in passengers.

| {{Success}}

NS-16

| 20 July 2021,

13:11

| 20 July 2021,

13:21

| {{Unbulleted list|{{Flagicon|USA}} Jeff Bezos | {{Flagicon|USA}} Mark Bezos | {{Flagicon|USA}} Wally Funk | {{Flagicon|NED}} Oliver Daemen}}

| 10 minutes, 18 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |First crewed flight of the New Shepard vehicle and first crewed spaceflight from Texas. Carried Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and three other passengers.{{Cite news |date=2021-07-20 |title=Jeff Bezos launches to space aboard New Shepard rocket ship |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57849364 |access-date=2022-04-03}}

| {{Success}}

NS-18

| 13 October 2021,

14:49

| 13 October 2021,

14:59

| {{Unbulleted list|{{Flagicon|USA}} Audrey Powers | {{Flagicon|AUS}} Chris Boshuizen|{{Flagicon|USA}} Glen de Vries | {{Flagicon|CAN}} William Shatner}}

| 10 minutes, 17 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. Second crewed flight of New Shepard. Carried actor William Shatner and three other paying passengers.{{Cite web |title=Blue Origin successfully and safely completes second human flight to space and back |url=https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-18-mission-updates |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=Blue Origin |language=en}}

| {{Success}}

NS-19

| 11 December 2021,

15:00

| 11 December 2021,

15:10

| {{Unbulleted list|{{Flagicon|USA}} Laura Shepard Churchley|{{Flagicon|USA}} Michael Strahan | {{Flagicon|USA}} Dylan Taylor | {{Flagicon|USA}} Evan Dick|{{Flagicon|USA}} Lane Bess | {{Flagicon|USA}} Cameron Bess}}

| 10 minutes, 13 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. Third crewed flight of New Shepard. First fully crewed New Shepard spaceflight. Carried Laura Shepard Churchley, the daughter of Alan Shepard, for whom the vehicle is named after, football player and Good Morning America host Michael Strahan, and four other paying passengers.{{Cite web |title=Blue Origin Completes Third Human Spaceflight |url=https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-19-mission-updates |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=Blue Origin |language=en}}

| {{Success}}

NS-20

| 31 March 2022,

13:57

| 31 March 2022,

14:07

| {{Unbulleted list|{{Flagicon|USA}} Marty Allen|{{Flagicon|USA}} Sharon Hagle|{{Flagicon|USA}} Marc Hagle|{{Flagicon|USA}} Jim Kitchen|{{Flagicon|USA}} George Nield|{{Flagicon|USA}} Gary Lai}}

| 10 minutes, 4 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. Fourth crewed flight of New Shepard. Comedian Pete Davidson was originally expected to be on board, but was unable to fly due to a launch date change. Davidson was replaced by New Shepard chief architect Gary Lai. Five other paying passengers were on board.{{Cite web |title=Blue Origin's 20th Mission to Space |url=https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-20-mission-announcement |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=Blue Origin |language=en}}

| {{Success}}

NS-21

| 4 June 2022, 13:25

| 4 June 2022, 13:35

| {{Unbulleted list|{{Flagicon|USA}} Evan Dick|{{Flagicon|USA}} Katya Echazarreta|{{Flagicon|UK}} Hamish Harding | {{Flagicon|BRA}} Victor Correa Hespanha|{{Flagicon|USA}} Jaison Robinson|{{Flagicon|USA}} Victor Vescovo}}

| 10 minutes, 5 seconds{{cite tweet |author-link=Blue Origin |user=blueorigin |number=1533088492355567616 |title=Official launch time was 8:25:02 AM CDT / 13:25:02 UTC. Capsule landing occurred at 8:35:07 AM CDT / 13:35:07 UTC. |date=4 June 2022 |access-date=4 June 2022}}

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. Fifth crewed flight of New Shepard. Crew included NS-19 crew member Evan Dick, and undersea explorer Victor Vescovo.{{Cite web |title=New Shepard Mission NS-21 to Fly Six Customer Astronauts, Including First Mexican-Born Woman to Visit Space |url=https://spacenews.com/new-shepard-mission-ns-21-to-fly-six-customer-astronauts-including-first-mexican-born-woman-to-visit-space/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240903124151/https://spacenews.com/new-shepard-mission-ns-21-to-fly-six-customer-astronauts-including-first-mexican-born-woman-to-visit-space/|archive-date=2024-09-03|access-date=2022-05-09 |website=www.spacenews.com |date=9 May 2022 |url-status=live }}

| {{Success}}

NS-22

| 4 August 2022, 13:56

| 4 August 2022, 14:06

| {{Unbulleted list|{{Flagicon|USA}} Coby Cotton|{{Flagicon|Portugal}} Mário Ferreira | {{Flagicon|USA}} Vanessa O'Brian| {{Flagicon|USA}} Clint Kelly III|{{Flagicon|Egypt}} Sara Sabry| {{Flagicon|USA}} Steve Young}}

| 10 minutes, 22 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. Sixth crewed flight of New Shepard. Crew included first Portuguese person and first Egyptian person in space.{{Cite web |title=First Egyptian and Portuguese Astronauts to join Dude Perfect Cofounder on New Shepard's 22nd Flight |url=https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-22-mission-announcement |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=Blue Origin |language=en-US}}

| {{Success}}

NS-25

| 19 May 2024, 14:35

| 19 May 2024, 14:45

| {{Unbulleted list|{{Flagicon|USA}} Kenneth Hess|{{Flagicon|FRA}} Sylvain Chiron | {{Flagicon|USA}} Mason Angel| {{Flagicon|USA}} Ed Dwight|{{Flagicon|USA}} Carol Schaller| {{Flagicon|IND}} Gopi Thotakura}}

|9 minutes, 53 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. Seventh crewed flight of New Shepard. Crew included Ed Dwight, the oldest person to reach space.{{Cite web |title=New Shepard's 25th Mission Includes America's First Black Astronaut Candidate |url=https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-25-mission-announcement |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Blue Origin |language=en-US}}

| {{Success}}

NS-26

|29 August 2024, 13:07

|29 August 2024, 13:17

|{{Unbulleted list|{{flagicon|UK}} {{flagicon|Singapore}}Elrick is a permanent resident of Singapore, and intends to become a Singapore citizen. Nicolina Elrick|{{flagicon|US}} Rob Ferl|{{flagicon|UKR}} Eugene Grin|{{flagicon|IRN}} {{flagicon|US}} Eiman Jahangir|{{flagicon|US}} Karsen Kitchen|{{flagicon|US}} {{flagicon|ISR}} Ephraim Rabin}}

|10 minutes, 8 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. Eight crewed flight of New Shepard. Crew included Karsen Kitchen, the youngest woman to cross the Kármán line (100 km) at 21 years old.

|{{Success}}

NS-28

|22 November 2024, 15:30

|22 November 2024, 15:40

|{{Unbulleted list|{{flagicon|US}} Emily Calandrelli|{{flagicon|US}} Sharon Hagle (2)|{{flagicon|US}} Marc Hagle (2)|{{flagicon|US}} Austin Litteral|{{flagicon|US}} James (J.D.) Russell|{{flagicon|CAN}} Henry (Hank) Wolfond}}

|10 minutes, 8 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. Ninth crewed flight of New Shepard.

|{{Success}}

NS-30

|25 February 2025, 15:49

|25 February 2025, 15:59

|{{Unbulleted list|{{flagicon|US}} Lane Bess (2)|{{flagicon|SPA}} Jesús Calleja|{{Flagicon|India}} {{flagicon|US}} Tushar Shah|{{Flagicon|US}} Dr. Richard Scott|{{flagicon|Australia}}Chia was born and raise in Singapore, but Singapore does not allow dual citizenship. Elaine Chia Hyde|{{flagicon|Australia}} Russell Wilson}}

|10 minutes, 8 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. Tenth crewed flight of New Shepard.

|{{Success}}

NS-32

|31 May 2025, 13:39

|31 May 2025, 13:49

|{{Unbulleted list|{{flagicon|USA}} Paul Jeris|{{flagicon|CAN}} Jesse Williams|{{flagicon|Puerto Rico}}|Aymette (Amy) Medina Jorge| {{Flagicon|USA}} Dr. Gretchen Green| {{flagicon|PAN}} Jaime Alemán| {{flagicon|NZ}} Mark Rocket}}

|10 minutes, 7 seconds

| style="text-align:left" |Space tourism mission. 12th crewed flight of New Shepard.

|{{Success}}

References

Category:Individual space vehicles

Category:Crewed spacecraft

Category:Blue Origin

Category:New Shepard

Category:Space tourism