Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on its inaugural test flight. The rocket carried a prototype satellite into orbit thousands of miles above Earth.
Named for the first American to orbit Earth, New Glenn lifted off from the same launchpad that sent NASA’s Mariner and Pioneer spacecraft into space decades ago.
Funded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the 320-foot (98-meter) rocket transported an experimental platform designed to host or deploy satellites into their designated orbits. The project has been under development for many years.
All seven main engines ignited upon liftoff, providing a spectacular display for onlookers on nearby beaches. Bezos monitored the launch from Mission Control; Blue Origin employees celebrated upon achieving orbit 13 minutes later, a milestone praised by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
While the first-stage booster failed to land on its designated ocean barge, Blue Origin emphasized the successful orbital insertion as the primary objective. Bezos acknowledged the ambitious nature of attempting a booster landing on the first attempt.
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp announced the successful orbital insertion on X, stating, “We did it! On to spring and trying again on the landing.”
For this mission, the satellite remained within the second stage during its Earth orbit. The plan was to leave the second stage in a high, stable orbit to minimize space debris, aligning with NASA guidelines.
The launch, initially scheduled for Monday, was delayed due to ice accumulation in the rocket’s plumbing systems. New Glenn is designed to transport spacecraft and, eventually, astronauts to orbit and the moon.
Founded by Bezos 25 years ago, Blue Origin has been taking paying passengers to the edge of space since 2021, including Bezos himself. These suborbital flights utilize smaller rockets named after Alan Shepard. New Glenn, named after John Glenn, is five times taller.
Blue Origin invested over $1 billion in New Glenn’s launch site, reconstructing the historic Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The facility is located 9 miles (14 kilometers) from the company’s control centers and rocket factory, near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Blue Origin aims for six to eight New Glenn launches this year, with the next scheduled for spring.
In a recent interview, Bezos declined to specify his personal investment in the project. He downplayed any rivalry with SpaceX, stating there is ample room for multiple successful companies in the space industry.
Bezos expressed his belief that this marks the beginning of a new era of space exploration, characterized by industry collaboration to reduce the cost of space access.
New Glenn is one of several large, new rockets launched recently, including United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, Europe’s Ariane 6, and NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS).
SpaceX’s Starship, the largest rocket at approximately 400 feet (123 meters), may conduct its seventh test flight later in the day from Texas. Musk hopes to replicate his October success of capturing the returning booster at the launchpad.
NASA intends to use Starship to land astronauts on the moon this decade. The first two Artemis moon landings will involve crews descending from lunar orbit in Starships.
Blue Origin’s lunar lander, Blue Moon, is slated for its debut on the third astronaut moon landing.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson advocated for competing lunar landers, mirroring the strategy of utilizing two companies for astronaut transport to the International Space Station. Nelson will be leaving his position upon the incoming president’s inauguration.
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, a veteran of two privately funded SpaceX orbital flights, requires Senate confirmation.
New Glenn’s initial launch was intended to carry twin spacecraft to Mars for NASA. However, NASA postponed their launch due to the rocket’s delayed readiness. The Escapade spacecraft, designed to study the Martian atmosphere and magnetic environment, will launch on a New Glenn rocket at a later date, no earlier than spring.
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