Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn heavy-lift rocket into orbit for the first time early Thursday, marking a major milestone for the company as it seeks to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The launch took place at 2:03 a.m. EST from NASA’s Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This historic site underwent a $1 billion refurbishment by Blue Origin to support the development of the rocket.
The launch achieved its primary goal as the rocket’s second stage reached orbit, a critical test for the New Glenn and a step forward in Blue Origin’s ambitions to capture a share of the growing commercial space market.
However, the company was unable to recover the reusable first-stage booster, which was supposed to land on a barge floating in the Atlantic Ocean. The booster, humorously named So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance, was lost during reentry, falling short of its intended target.
Blue Origin’s CEO, Dave Limp, acknowledged the challenge of attempting the recovery on the rocket’s first flight and expressed optimism about learning from the setback.
The mission carried a prototype payload called Blue Ring, which will remain attached to the second stage for the duration of its six-hour orbital mission. The prototype, described as a “pathfinder,” is designed to test various systems, including in-space telemetry, ground-to-orbit communication capabilities, and radiometric tracking.
Unlike most commercial launches, New Glenn was not tasked with deploying a satellite, allowing Blue Origin to focus on evaluating its technology.
What you should know
Originally scheduled for Monday, the launch faced a brief delay due to ice buildup on a plumbing line connected to the rocket’s auxiliary power unit. Despite this, Thursday’s successful orbital insertion demonstrates significant progress for Blue Origin, which has faced delays and challenges in developing New Glenn since its announcement in 2016.
The rocket is named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth and a former U.S. Senator, paying tribute to his pioneering contributions to space exploration. Blue Origin aims to use the New Glenn for a variety of missions, including satellite deployments and potential crewed spaceflights, as it seeks to establish itself in a sector currently dominated by SpaceX.
Following the launch, Limp stated, “I’m incredibly proud New Glenn achieved orbit on its first attempt. We knew landing our booster on the first try was an ambitious goal, but we’ll learn a lot from today and try again in the spring.” The next New Glenn launch is planned for later this year, as Blue Origin continues its push to redefine commercial spaceflight.
