New Shepard is a fully reusable sub-orbital launch vehicle developed for space tourism by Blue Origin.

The vehicle is named after Alan Shepard, who became the first American to travel into space and the fifth person to walk on the Moon.

The launch vehicle is designed to be fully reusable, with the capsule returning to Earth via three parachutes and a solid rocket motor.

Goddard was assembled at the Blue Origin facility in Kent, Washington, United States and made its first flight on 13 November 2006.

On 19 October 2012, Blue Origin conducted a successful pad escape of a full-scale suborbital crew capsule at its West Texas launch site.

[4][5] In April 2015, Blue Origin announced that they had completed acceptance testing of the BE-3PM engine that would power the New Shepard launch vehicle.

The first was lost in a test in April 2015, the second had flown twice (see below), and the third was completing manufacture at the Blue Origin factory in Kent, Washington, United States.

In 2016, the Blue Origin team were awarded the Collier Trophy for demonstrating rocket reusability with the New Shepard human spaceflight vehicle.

New Shepard performed six crewed flights between July 2021 and August 2022, taking a mix of sponsored celebrities such as Wally Funk, William Shatner as well as paying customers.

The first flight of the full-scale New Shepard vehicle was NS1,[10] also called "Tail 1"[11] and was conducted on 29 April 2015 during which an altitude of 93.5 km (58.1 mi) was attained.

New Shepard 3 (NS3), also called "Tail 3",[11] along with capsule RSS H. G. Wells,[15] was modified for increased reusability and improved thermal protection; it included a redesigned propulsion module and the inclusion of new access panels for more rapid servicing and improved thermal protection.

Previous test flights had flown under an experimental permit, which did not allow Blue Origin to carry cargo for which it was paid for commercially.

"[20] Since the maiden flight, "Blue Origin has been making updates to the vehicle ... intended primarily to improve operability rather than performance or reliability.

Following a diagnostics of the initial issue, Blue Origin rescheduled the launch for early 2019, after discovering "additional systems" that needed repairs as well.

[26][27] New Shepard 4 (NS4), also called "Tail 4",[11] which flies with capsule RSS First Step, was the fourth propulsion module to be built and the first to carry human passengers.

[28] The vehicle was manufactured in 2018 and moved to the Blue Origin West Texas launch facility in December 2019.

[32] New Shepard 5 (NS5), which flies with capsule RSS Kármán Line, is Blue Origin's second crew-rated propulsion module.

[101] Aft fins stabilize the rocket during ascent, steer it back to the landing pad during descent, and guide it effectively at speeds up to Mach 3.

Ring and wedge fins near the top of the rocket provide aerodynamic stability and reduce fuel consumption during descent.

[102] The gimbaling engine nozzle and aft fins work together to steer the rocket, both using hydraulic actuators.

Before touchdown, a retro-thrust system at the bottom of the capsule expels nitrogen gas to slow the landing to approximately 3.2 km/h (2 mph).

[108] Additionally, a crushable ring, 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) high, compresses upon impact on the underside of the capsule and acts as a decelerator to absorb g-forces.

The rocket and capsule then continue coasting upwards due to their momentum, reaching an apogee just above the Kármán Line at 100 km (62 mi; 54 nmi; 330,000 ft).

Blue Origin projects 100 km (62 mi) altitude in flights of approximately ten minutes duration, while carrying an 11.3 kg (25 lb) research payload.