Blue Origin's most recent rocket launch featured an experience similar to that of the Moon.

      Blue Origin successfully conducted its 29th New Shepard flight and 14th payload mission from Launch Site One in West Texas on Tuesday. Unlike most recent New Shepard flights that have featured paying passengers, this mission was focused on carrying scientific payloads.

      Let's examine the NS-29 Lunar-G flight from launch to landing. 🌕 🚀 pic.twitter.com/KpU4Ep9HtK

      — Blue Origin (@blueorigin) February 4, 2025

      Significantly, Mission NS-29 simulated lunar gravity — reportedly a first for any suborbital flight — with 29 out of 30 payloads specifically designed to test technologies related to lunar exploration. To replicate lunar conditions, the capsule's reaction-control thrusters were activated in a manner that spun the crew module up to 11 times per minute, creating one-sixth of Earth's gravity for approximately two minutes.

      “Commercial entities play a vital role in assisting NASA with preparations for missions to the moon and beyond,” remarked Danielle McCulloch, program executive of NASA's Flight Opportunities program, in a statement. “The closer we can make the test environment to the actual mission environment, the more effective the testing. Therefore, we provided substantial support for this flight test to enhance vehicle capabilities, ensuring technologies are ready for lunar exploration.”

      Among the payloads was LUCI (Lunar Combustion Investigation), which aims to enhance understanding of material flammability on the moon compared to Earth. “This is a crucial aspect of astronaut safety in lunar habitats and could guide the design of potential combustion devices there,” stated NASA.

      Other payloads on the NS-29 mission included research focused on minimizing the effects of lunar dust, as well as studies related to construction and excavation on the lunar surface. Instruments designed to detect subsurface water on the moon were also evaluated during the flight, as the search for water molecules is a key objective of forthcoming Artemis missions to Earth's nearest celestial neighbor.

      “New Shepard’s capacity to create a lunar gravity environment is an exceptionally unique and valuable resource for researchers aiming for a return to the moon,” noted Blue Origin’s Phil Joyce. “This capability allows researchers to test lunar technologies at a significantly reduced cost, enabling rapid iterations and tests within a much shorter timeframe.”

      On Tuesday’s flight, the New Shepard’s crew capsule ascended to nearly 342,000 feet before making a parachute-assisted landing back on Earth just over 10 minutes after liftoff.

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