
Pushing the Envelope
New Shepard flew again on April 2, 2016, reaching an apogee of 339,178 feet or 103 kilometers. It was the third flight with the same hardware. We pushed the envelope on this flight, restarting the engine for the propulsive landing only 3,600 feet above the ground, requiring the BE-3 engine to start fast and ramp to high thrust fast.
Share
Latest Posts
Jan 30, 2026NewsBlue Origin to Pause New Shepard Flights for No Less Than Two Years
Blue Origin today announced it will pause its New Shepard flights and shift resources to further accelerate development of the company's human lunar capabilities.
Jan 22, 2026NewsNew Glenn-3 to Launch AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Satellite
Blue Origin announced that New Glenn’s next mission will carry AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite to low Earth orbit.
Jan 22, 2026NewsBlue Origin Completes 38th New Shepard Flight to Space
On January 22, 2026, Blue Origin successfully completed the 38th flight for the New Shepard program and first of 2026.