Blue Origin’s massive New Glenn rocket successfully launches from Florida on its inaugural space mission. This marks a significant milestone for Jeff Bezos’ space company as it ventures into Earth orbit to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the satellite-launching industry.
The 30-story New Glenn features a reusable first stage powered by liquid oxygen and methane. Despite cloudy skies, the rocket lifted off for the second time this week at around 2 a.m. ET (7 a.m. GMT) from the Blue Origin launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The first launch attempt was postponed on Monday due to ice accumulation on the propellant lines. However, on Thursday, the company confirmed a smooth launch without any issues.
The company’s live stream captured the enthusiasm of hundreds of employees gathered at Blue Origin’s headquarters in Kent, Washington, and the Cape Canaveral rocket factory in Florida for the momentous launch.
Spectators on Florida’s East Coast cheered and witnessed the launch from parks and campgrounds located miles away from the launch pad.
This mission represents a culmination of a decade-long, multibillion-dollar development effort. It included a successful landing of New Glenn’s first stage booster on a fairing barge in the Atlantic Ocean just 10 minutes after liftoff, along with efforts to propel the second stage towards orbit.
Safety secured within New Glenn’s payload bay is the first prototype of Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft—a maneuverable spacecraft designed for the Department of Defense and commercial use, set to be sold to a customer.
Achieving the deployment of a spacecraft into its intended orbit on the initial rocket launch is a rare accomplishment in the space industry.
Source: www.theguardian.com
