Blue Origin successfully launched its new massive rocket for the first time on Thursday, sending a prototype satellite into orbit thousands of miles above Earth. The New Glenn rocket, named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, took off from Florida, using the same launch pad that had previously been used for NASA’s Mariner and Pioneer missions over fifty years ago. The rocket, which had been in development for years with substantial backing from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, stood at 320 feet and was equipped with an experimental platform capable of carrying and deploying satellites into space. As the rocket ascended, all seven of its main engines ignited, creating a stunning display in the early morning sky, which was met with applause from the onlookers along the nearby beaches.

Moments after the rocket reached orbit, Blue Origin employees burst into celebration, thrilled by the success of the mission, which took only 13 minutes. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, quickly praised the achievement. Bezos, who was present at Mission Control for the launch, chose not to reveal how much he personally invested in the program. He also downplayed the notion of a rivalry with SpaceX, stating that he did not see Blue Origin in direct competition with Musk’s company, which has been the dominant force in the rocket-launching industry. As the launch unfolded, Bezos spent much of his time at his Mission Control seat, appearing both nervous and elated. “Congratulations on reaching orbit on the first attempt!” Musk congratulated via X.

The mission’s goal for the test flight was for the satellite to stay within the rocket’s second stage while orbiting Earth. The mission was set to last six hours, after which the second stage would be placed in a stable orbit, following NASA’s protocols to reduce space debris. However, the first-stage booster did not successfully land on the Atlantic barge as planned, though the company emphasized that the main focus was on ensuring the test satellite reached its orbit. Before the launch, Bezos remarked that it was “a little crazy” to attempt landing the booster on its first attempt. “What a fantastic day,” Ariane Cornell, a Blue Origin commentator, said.

The flight had initially been scheduled for early Monday morning but was delayed due to ice buildup in critical plumbing. New Glenn, designed to carry both spacecraft and, eventually, astronauts into space and to the moon, was created by Blue Origin, which was founded by Jeff Bezos 25 years ago. The company has already been launching paying passengers to the edge of space since 2021, including Bezos himself, with these shorter flights utilizing smaller rockets named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space. At five times the height of these smaller rockets, New Glenn honors John Glenn’s historic achievement. To prepare for the New Glenn launch, Blue Origin invested over $1 billion in revamping the historic Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is located nine miles from the company’s control centers and rocket factory, just outside NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Blue Origin plans for six to eight New Glenn launches this year, provided everything goes according to plan, with the next launch scheduled for this spring. “There’s room for lots of winners,” Bezos said over the weekend from the rocket factory, emphasizing that this marks “the very, very beginning of this new phase of the space age, where we’re all going to work together as an industry … to lower the cost of access to space.”

New Glenn joins a growing list of new, large rockets that have launched in recent years, including United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, Europe’s upgraded Ariane 6, and NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), the successor to the Saturn V rocket, which will be used to send astronauts to the moon. The largest rocket currently in operation, SpaceX’s Starship, stands at approximately 400 feet. Musk has stated that the seventh test flight of the full Starship rocket could take place later Thursday from Texas, with hopes of replicating the October success of catching the returning booster on a launch pad using giant mechanical arms. Starship is also NASA’s chosen vehicle for landing astronauts on the moon during the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface after the Apollo missions. The first two landings will involve Starships ferrying astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface.

Blue Origin is also preparing its own lunar lander, named Blue Moon, which will make its debut during the third lunar landing by astronauts. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has advocated for multiple competing lunar landers, similar to the strategy of contracting two companies to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Nelson is set to step down when President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Monday.

In a related development, Trump has selected tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, who has privately funded two SpaceX flights into orbit, is awaiting Senate confirmation for the role. The original plan for New Glenn’s debut was to send twin spacecraft to Mars for NASA. However, the space agency decided to withdraw the spacecraft from last October’s flight, as it became clear that the rocket would not be ready in time. The two small spacecraft, named Escapade, are still scheduled to fly aboard a New Glenn rocket, but not until at least spring. These spacecraft are designed to study Mars’ atmosphere and magnetic environment while orbiting the red planet.

{Matzav.com}