There’s a space race going on, a race to build a rocket that can go into space, perform a mission, then return to Earth, all using reusable parts. The more parts that can be reused, the lower the cost per mission.

Yesterday, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin team took a huge step toward that goal. They launched a rocket that reached a height of 100 kilometers (about 62 miles), a bit more than 11 times the height of Mount Everest. That’s not deep space, but it is the edge of space, certainly high enough for a proof of concept.

After powered launch, the capsule of the Shephard (named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard) separated, then landed via parachute, safely on the ground.

The critical part of the launch was the descent and powered landing of the rocket itself. Watch the video below. It’s just incredible.

Here’s a quote from Jeff Bezos:

“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. “Blue Origin’s reusable New Shepard space vehicle flew a flawless mission—soaring to 329,839 feet and then returning through 119-mph high-altitude crosswinds to make a gentle, controlled landing just four and a half feet from the center of the pad. Full reuse is a game changer, and we can’t wait to fuel up and fly again.”

And a responding tweet from competitor Elon Musk:

It is, however, important to clear up the difference between “space” and “orbit”, as described well by https://what-if.xkcd.com/58/

The XKCD post is fascinating and educational.

Congrats to the Blue Origin team. Fantastic work.