The Estes Blue Origin New Shepard is a 1:66 scale model of the New Shepard launch vehicle, designed to support immersive, mission based learning in classrooms, camps, and youth programs. When paired with the Mission Bravo Oscar Mission Simulation, students take part in a structured spaceflight scenario that emphasizes teamwork, planning, and communication.
This approach allows educators to move beyond a single launch activity and guide students through a complete mission experience where every participant plays a role in achieving mission success.
Mission Bravo Oscar Classroom Integration
The Blue Origin New Shepard Builder Kit is designed to be used alongside Mission Bravo Oscar, a mission simulation that mirrors real world aerospace operations. Students are assigned specific job roles and responsibilities that must be completed in order for the mission to succeed.
The mission framework highlights collaboration and shows how different skills come together to plan, prepare, and execute a successful rocket launch.
Mission Objective and Engineering Decisions
Mission Bravo Oscar is centered on Blue Origin’s New Shepard as a vertical takeoff, vertical landing, crew rated suborbital launch vehicle developed for commercial space tourism. Within the simulation, students explore propulsion concepts by evaluating solid propellant engine options.
Working as a team, students determine which engine size best meets mission requirements by considering altitude, velocity, acceleration, and payload needs.
Defined Success Criteria and Documentation
The mission is considered complete when appropriate personnel are identified, hired, and work effectively together. Students capture the mission launch through deliverables such as a mission patch, website, video, news article, and social media style content.
A New Shepard rocket is safely built, transported, launched, and recovered after testing three engine types within an appropriate time frame, reinforcing both technical understanding and project management skills.
Repeatable, Engaging Learning Experience
With capsule deployment and parachute recovery, the Estes Blue Origin New Shepard supports repeated launches for testing and iteration. Students can analyze results, refine decisions, and connect classroom concepts to real world outcomes.
Paired with Mission Bravo Oscar, the Estes Blue Origin New Shepard provides educators with a powerful tool for teaching teamwork, aerospace concepts, and mission planning through an exciting, hands on experience.
