Failed Parachute on NS-25 Adds Some Excitement to the Journey

Blue Origin's seventh passenger flight ended with a smidgeon of drama when one of its 3 parachutes failed to fully deploy, forcing it to rely on its remaining 2 units.

That's not the worst system failure in the world, since the triple-chute system sports redundancy as a baseline, but it's always a little discomfiting to rely on a backup whenever parachutes are involved. The chute appears to have simply failed to inflate, and will no doubt be dissected six ways from Sunday in the coming months as Blue Origin looks to prevent it from ever happening again.

During the livestream of the landing, Blue Origin announcer Ariane Cornell clarified that the system works just fine with only two parachutes active. She said there were "multiple redundant factors active" during the capsule's descent, since it's equipped with its own onboard air cushion system.

Blue Origin's camera crew got lucky with the failed unit, in any case. The undeployed chute remained behind the two active ones, helping to prevent audiences watching at home from seeing the embarrassing moment more clearly. 

"A big thank you to our astronaut customers for the opportunity to provide this life-changing experience," said Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President, New Shepard. "Each of you are pioneers helping to advance our mission to build a road to space for the benefit of Earth."

The completion of NS-25 makes for 37 passengers under Blue Origin's belt, having brought their charges past the somewhat arbitrary border of 'space' sitting at the Kármán line. It's high enough to grant those aboard the eminently cool bragging rights, and that's really what Blue Origin's pricy little tickets are for.

FMI: www.blueorigin.com