NASA moon-landing tech hitches ride to space on Bezos rocket

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Bezos’ space company has launched a rocket with NASA’s newest moon-landing tech on board. The New Shepard rocket blasted off from a remote corner of Texas on Tuesday. The entire flight by the company Blue Origin lasted just 10 minutes, barely skimming space with a peak altitude of 66 miles. The booster landed vertically back at the launch complex, giving NASA the opportunity to test navigation equipment that could help put astronauts back on the moon by 2024. This particular rocket has now launched seven times, a record for Blue Origin. The capsule, meanwhile, parachuted onto the desert floor with science experiments, including 1.2 million tomato seeds that will be distributed to schoolchildren.