Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos's private spaceflight endeavor, usually quite secretive about its West Texas operations, gives us a peek at its latest test launch.
By Clay Dillow Posted 10.24.2012 at 10:31 am 4 Comments

Blue Origin's Pad Escape System Going up. Blue Origin

On Friday, private spaceflight venture Blue Origin conducted a successful test of its Pad Escape system, demonstrating that its pusher escape motor system can effectively put daylight between its crew capsule and an imperiled launch vehicle (read: out-of-control rocket booster) should anything go awry during a potential future crewed space launch aboard Blue Origin’s technology. Today, we got our hands on the video.

In it you can see the crew capsule arcing upward some 2,307 feet from a simulated launch vehicle as it travels another 1,630 feet laterally downrange, ensuring that in the case of an actual ascent emergency it not only separates from a malfunctioning rocket but also gets out of its way as well. It then safely parachutes back to down to the West Texas desert floor.

The Pad Escape system is a key part of Blue Origin’s spaceflight scheme, which aims to field a completely reusable manned spacecraft as part of NASA’S Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program. See it bail out below.


4 Comments

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Robot
10/24/12 at 11:23 am

Neat video! I wonder what the combine G force will be from the rocket itself and the launching escape vehicle? It’s awesome that capsule appeared to land so softly. Still with the combine G forces, did the crew backs, neck and spine get crushed while escaping?

Great landing!!!! ;)

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rpstrong
10/24/12 at 1:01 pm

Robot: The G forces aren't really additive, because the escape rocket is independent of the main rocket. That is, its thrust (and resulting acceleration) would be essentially the same regardless of its initial launch pad, be it the planet earth or a flying rocket. Its speed would be increased, but the initial velocity does not create any additional G forces.

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TeslaCoils
10/24/12 at 4:38 pm

After launch the rocket is accelerating (change in rate of velocity) or jerking (change in rate of acceleration).

Should the CLES be used in flight (not sure if it just used at the launch pad) its acceleration would be additive. Example: If acceleration of the rocket is a constant 4G's to escape it you'd need to increase velocity hence acceleration in order to distance yourself from the rocket.

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vt007
10/25/12 at 5:21 am

i remember the first spaceX test flights not so long ago, look at them now flying to isS

wish the same thing to BO! i hope they both will grow up in the future and compeet for the biggest/best private space station... i surelly wont mind 2 different LEO SS ^^

they might add a hotel in it as well to bring more costumers, but im just daydreaming.... ^^"

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