CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Blue Origin marked a significant milestone on Thursday as it launched its New Glenn rocket, experiencing its inaugural test flight, which successfully deployed a prototype satellite into orbit, thousands of miles above the Earth.
This rocket, named after John Glenn—the first American to orbit the planet—lifted off from a historic launchpad in Florida, a site that has previously hosted NASA missions like Mariner and Pioneer around fifty years ago. The New Glenn, measuring 320 feet (98 meters) in height, is the result of extensive development funded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. It is designed to carry an experimental platform intended for satellite hosting and deployment into their appropriate orbits.
At lift-off, all seven main engines ignited, propelling the rocket through the early morning sky, much to the excitement of onlookers along the coastline. Bezos participated from Mission Control, and his team celebrated when the rocket successfully achieved orbit 13 minutes into the flight, even drawing commendation from SpaceX’s Elon Musk.
While the first-stage booster failed to land on a barge in the Atlantic, Blue Origin emphasized that achieving orbital status was the primary goal of this mission. Bezos had noted that attempting to land the booster on the first attempt was ambitious, and Blue Origin’s CEO Dave Limp expressed triumph on social media, indicating that the next focus would be on perfecting the landing during the next launch window this spring.
For this flight, the satellite was intended to remain within the second stage, orbiting Earth. The mission involved ensuring the second stage would enter a secure orbit that minimizes the risk of debris, adhering to NASA’s guidelines for managing space junk.
Originally planned for a Monday launch, the New Glenn’s takeoff was postponed due to ice accumulation in vital plumbing systems. This rocket is poised to carry not only payloads but also astronauts into orbit and potentially to the Moon.
Founded by Bezos 25 years ago, Blue Origin has been transporting paying customers into the edge of space since 2021, operating short flights using smaller rockets named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space. In contrast, New Glenn is five times taller and pays homage to John Glenn.
The company has invested over $1 billion to modernize Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, located nine miles (14 kilometers) from Blue Origin’s control center and rocket manufacturing site, near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Looking ahead, Blue Origin plans to execute six to eight New Glenn missions within the year, with the subsequent launch set for spring.
In a recent interview, Bezos refrained from discussing his personal investment in this new initiative, stating that he does not perceive Blue Origin as a direct competitor to Musk’s SpaceX. “There’s room for lots of winners,” Bezos asserted, emphasizing a collaborative approach within the industry to reduce the cost of space access.
New Glenn joins a line of recently introduced large rockets, including United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, the revamped Ariane 6 from Europe, and NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), which is designed to continue the legacy of the Saturn V in lunar missions.
Leading the pack in size is SpaceX’s Starship, standing around 400 feet (123 meters) tall. Musk has indicated that Starship may undertake its seventh test flight later on Thursday from Texas, aiming to replicate a previous successful booster recovery with mechanical arms at the launch site.
NASA plans to utilize Starship for moon landings this decade, aligning with the agency’s Artemis program, which seeks to send crews to the lunar surface. Additionally, Blue Origin’s lunar lander, called Blue Moon, is scheduled to be part of future astronaut landings.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson advocated for a competitive approach to moon landings, following a model similar to contracting multiple companies for transportation to and from the International Space Station. He is expected to resign with the inauguration of incoming President Donald Trump.
Following the transition, Trump has suggested tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as Nelson’s successor, pending Senate approval. Isaacman has previously gone to orbit on two separate privately funded SpaceX missions.
Originally, New Glenn’s first mission was to send twin spacecraft to Mars for NASA. However, with timing issues, this plan evolved, and while the spacecraft, known as Escapade, will still launch aboard New Glenn, it won’t be until at least spring. These small probes are designed to investigate Mars’ atmosphere and magnetic field while orbiting the planet.
