Watch Blue Origin’s Surreal Onboard View Of New Shepard Rocket Booster Landing

At the time, we were presented with an external chase view of the New Shepard landing on its pad, which is impressive enough. However, Blue Origin decided this week to give space geeks another more impressive view of that same landing to peruse via YouTube: a view from the vent camera that is mounted just below the New Shepard’s ring fin.

Needless to say, the view is breathtaking, as we can clearly see the curvature of the Earth as the New Shepard begins its rapid descent to the surface below. It’s amazing just how quickly this thing is hurtling towards the ground, only to have the engines restarted at just 3,635 feet — less than a mile high — to avoiding cratering into the earth below. New Shepard touches down at a leisurely 4.8 mph.

Be sure to watch the video with your speakers turned up, because the sweet music that the New Shepard’s engines make immediately after landing is a feast for the ears.

Blue Origin plans to begin manned flights next year and if all goes well, it will start taking tourists 62 miles high in 2018.

Not to be outdone, SpaceX has just posted three camera views of its most recent nighttime Falcon 9 touchdown on a drone ship. Although neither view is as cool as the onboard camera footage from the New Shepard, it’s still a fascinating look at new chapter in the space race.