History made by Blue Origin

VAN HORN, Texas -- Blue Origin today announced that its New Shepard space vehicle successfully flew to space, reaching its planned test altitude of 329,839 feet, then made a historic upright landing back at the launch site in West Texas. "Now safely tucked away at our launch site in West Texas is the rarest of beasts -- a used rocket," said Jeff Bezos, founder of Blue Origin. Like something from an old science fiction movie, the launch vehicle came in for a controlled landing just over four feet from the center of the pad. The spacecraft, powered by a single BE-3 liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen engine, is named in honor of the first American in space, Alan Shepard. (Source: Blue Origin via Business Wire, 11/24/15) Gulf Coast note: Blue Origin has used Stennis Space Center, Miss., to test engine components.