Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin achieved its first orbital flight of its New Glenn heavy-lift rocket early Thursday 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 mission accomplished its primary goal as the rocket’s second stage reached orbit, a crucial step in Blue Origin’s efforts to compete in the commercial space market dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. However, the mission faced a setback when the reusable first-stage booster, humorously named So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance, was lost during reentry. The booster was intended to land on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean but fell short of its target.
Blue Origin’s CEO, Dave Limp, acknowledged the difficulty of recovering the booster on the rocket’s inaugural flight and expressed confidence in learning from the experience. “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,” Limp said.
The mission carried a prototype payload named Blue Ring, designed as a pathfinder to test various systems, including in-space telemetry, ground-to-orbit communication, and radiometric tracking. Unlike most commercial launches, New Glenn was not tasked with deploying a satellite, allowing the company to focus on testing its technology.
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 the delay, the successful orbital insertion represents a major advancement for Blue Origin, which has faced challenges in developing New Glenn since its announcement in 2016.
Named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, the New Glenn rocket pays tribute to his contributions to space exploration. Blue Origin plans to use New Glenn for various missions, including satellite deployments and potential crewed spaceflights.
Looking ahead, the next New Glenn launch is scheduled for later this year as Blue Origin continues its mission to establish itself as a major player in the commercial spaceflight industry.
