Blue Origin anticipates launching a New Shepard rocket no sooner than tomorrow, January 14th, at 9:45 AM Central Standard Time (10:45 AM Eastern Standard Time) for its initial mission of 2021. This launch is particularly significant for the space company established by Jeff Bezos, as it incorporates enhancements to the crew capsule positioned on the rocket, specifically engineered to enhance the experience for future astronauts – a crucial advancement as the company nears its inaugural crewed spaceflights.

The New Shepard vehicle has successfully completed 13 flights, having previously transported various payloads to suborbital altitudes and back to Earth. This reusable launch system is ultimately intended to offer space travel opportunities to individuals, and while a definitive schedule for this remains undisclosed, the upcoming mission strongly suggests that this capability may be available in the near future.

This New Shepard launch will debut several improvements centered around crew comfort and functionality, including systems for soundproofing and temperature control, informational display screens for passengers, and push-to-talk communication devices integrated into each of the capsule’s six seats. A full-scale humanoid mannequin, nicknamed Mannequin Skywalker, will occupy one seat to gather data on the vehicle’s operational characteristics.

The mission will also evaluate the astronaut alert systems Blue Origin plans to implement in the final flight configuration. In addition, the launch will carry a unique payload: 50,000 postcards submitted by students globally through Blue Origin’s nonprofit organization, Club for the Future.

Blue Origin will provide a live broadcast of the mission on its website and YouTube channel (shown below), with the stream commencing approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled launch, around 10:15 AM Eastern Time (7:15 AM Pacific Time).