Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket for the first time on Thursday, marking a significant milestone for Jeff Bezos’ space company. The launch took place in Florida, with New Glenn reaching space and achieving orbit during its inaugural mission. Despite an attempt to land the rocket’s booster on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean, the booster was lost during reentry.
This launch is a pivotal moment for Blue Origin, which was founded 25 years ago but had not previously ventured into orbit. The company’s smaller New Shepard rocket had been used for suborbital flights. The successful flight of New Glenn signifies Blue Origin’s entry into a market dominated by SpaceX and is crucial for Bezos’ broader ambitions.
The New Glenn flight carried a test payload into space and was unmanned. The rocket was named in honor of John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Blue Origin had initially planned to launch NASA’s “ESCAPADE” mission to Mars on New Glenn’s debut but faced delays. The company also has orders from Amazon’s Project Kuiper for satellite launches and plans for lunar missions and a space station.
Headquartered in Kent, Washington, Blue Origin has over 10,000 employees across various locations in the United States. The company aims to increase the frequency of New Glenn launches and had faced delays since its original target debut in 2020. The rocket is designed to be partially reusable and can deliver payloads to orbit comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon rockets.
New Glenn stands at 322 feet tall, powered by seven BE-4 engines generating significant thrust. The rocket uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane as fuel and is designed for multiple reuses. Blue Origin has not disclosed the total cost of New Glenn launches but had previously invested $2.5 billion in its development.
Despite competition in the launch market, Blue Origin has secured a position in military missions through the National Security Space Launch program. Bezos remains optimistic about the company’s future, expressing confidence in its potential success.
