Blue Origin, the rocket company underwritten by Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, has released two new videos showing a successful test of a rocket using vertical take-off and vertical landing technology.
The company, which the Associated Press described as "ultra-secretive," suffered a large setback in August when one of its unmanned launch vehicles failed during a test.
Bezos posted a short message on Blue Origin's website to accompany the videos.
"We've received requests for video of the short hop test flight that took place earlier this year," the message read. "Here are two videos of the flight. Enjoy!"
It is unclear when this new video, available above, was taken. Blue Origin has yet to respond to a request from The Huffington Post for further information.
Wired, however, reports that the test took place in June, while MSNBC reports that it took place in May. Either date would place this video several months before the failure of its launch vehicle in August.
According to Wired, the rocket in the video is the company's suborbital space vehicle, known as the New Shepard, and was launched from a Blue Origin site in West Texas.
Blue Origin is working to develop methods of getting people into space more reliably and for less money, the company says on its website. It is currently developing reusable launch systems that detach from space vehicles and crew capsules and return safely to earth.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Blue Origin has received over $25 million in funds from NASA, but that the failed test was not supported with federal funds as it was part of a project independent of the NASA contract.
SpaceX, a private rocket and spacecraft maker started by PayPal founder Elon Musk, announced in October that it would also pursue reusable rocket technology. MSNBC reports that Boeing and Sierra Nevada Corp., two other private companies, are also working on similar projects.
Reusable booster systems that would return to earth after propelling vehicles and capsules to space would greatly reduce the cost of spaceflight.