In a significant milestone for the space tourism industry, Blue Origin has successfully launched its second New Shepard ship, the RSS Kármán Line capsule, on an uncrewed certification mission. This new capsule is expected to effectively double the company's capacity to fly tourists to suborbital space and back.

The launch, which took place at Blue Origin's West Texas launch site, marks the 27th flight of a New Shepard launch vehicle since 2015. The RSS Kármán Line capsule is named after the imaginary boundary at 100 kilometers of altitude that separates the atmosphere from space.

The vehicle features several upgrades to improve performance and reliability, as well as improved payload accommodations on the booster. The mission carried a total of 12 payloads, including two lidar sensors for Blue Origin's "lunar permanence" program and a navigation system for both New Shepard and New Glenn, the company's first orbital rocket.

The successful launch follows two previous attempts that were scrubbed due to technical issues. With this new capsule, Blue Origin is poised to meet growing customer demand for space tourism, although the company has not yet disclosed its expected launch cadence.

This development is significant not only for Blue Origin but also for the broader space tech industry, as it marks a major step forward in the commercialization of space travel. As the industry continues to evolve, startups and entrepreneurs are likely to play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of space exploration and tourism.