Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket achieved orbit on its first launch Jan. 16, but they lost the booster.
New Glenn lifted off at 2:03 a.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The booster uses seven BE-4 engines.
The upper stage used two BE-3U engines and continued its ascent to orbit. The first stage tried to land on Jacklyn, a Blue Origin ship.
In September 2015, Blue Origin formally announced plans to develop the rocket, which later was named New Glenn. They targeted a first launch of New Glenn in 2020, but the schedule kept slipping.
The payload is the Blue Ring Pathfinder, which will remain attached to the upper stage. It tests communications equipment that will be used on Blue Ring, the orbital transfer vehicle being developed by Blue Origin.
NASA and Blue Origin plan to launch two orbiters to Mars using New Glenn.
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Congratulations Blue Origin! Competition is good to see, hope someday it catches up to SpaceX. Or perhaps co-operation could happen, as I would love to see the Bezos vision of O’Neill colonies take root and that monster Starship would sure help that. Looking forward to the day when someone has actually built a place that people could call home away from the Earth.
Well, slow and steady doesn’t win the race, but I guess it does get you across the finish line eventually.
Best of luck to them!
Congrats to Jeff for finally reaching orbit. Now stars are the limit. Next booster catch attempt in 2026 – 2027!
lol