CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA — Blue Origin successfully launched a massive new rocket on its inaugural test flight on Thursday, sending a prototype satellite into orbit thousands of miles above Earth.
Named after the first American to orbit the Earth, the New Glenn rocket took off from Florida and lifted off from the same launch pad that was used for NASA’s Mariner and Pioneer spacecraft half a century ago.
Developed over many years with substantial funding from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the 98-meter-long rocket carried an experimental platform designed to transport the satellite and deploy it into a designated orbit.
With all seven main engines firing at liftoff, the rocket ascended through the early morning sky, exciting the crowds gathered along the nearby beach. Bezos was actively involved in the launch control, and employees of Blue Origin cheered as the spacecraft successfully reached orbit 13 minutes later, earning praise from SpaceX’s Elon Musk.
Although the first stage booster failed to land on the barge in the Atlantic Ocean, the company emphasized that a more significant milestone was achieved. Bezos had mentioned before the flight that attempting to land the booster on the first try was “a bit wild.”
“We did it!” exclaimed Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp about reaching orbit with a thumbs up. “Heading to splashdown and trying again on the landing.”
For this test mission, the satellite was designed to remain attached to the second stage while orbiting the Earth. The plan was to place the second stage in a stable orbit high above, following NASA guidelines to reduce space debris.
New Glenn is set to conduct more missions in the future, carrying spacecraft and eventually enabling astronauts to orbit the Earth and beyond, including to the moon.
Founded by Bezos 25 years ago, Blue Origin plans to launch a paid passenger service starting in 2021, aiming to explore the far reaches of the universe. Their suborbital flights from Texas will use a smaller rocket named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space. The towering New Glenn, honoring John Glenn, stands five times taller.
Blue Origin has invested over $1 billion in the New Glenn launch site, refurbishing Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s historic Complex 36. The launch site is located 9 miles (14 kilometers) from the company’s control center and rocket factory near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center entrance.
The company plans to conduct six to eight New Glenn flights during this year, with the next one scheduled for the coming spring.
Bezos declined to disclose his personal investment in the program during a recent interview, emphasizing that Blue Origin does not see itself in direct competition with Musk’s SpaceX, which has long been a leader in rocket launches.
“There’s enough room for multiple winners,” Bezos stated, highlighting that this marks “the dawn of a new era in space exploration, where we collaborate as an industry to decrease the cost of space exploration and increase access to space.”
New Glenn joins the ranks of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, Europe’s enhanced Ariane 6, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), and the Saturn V in enabling human spaceflight. It is the latest among several large new rockets launched in recent years, including SpaceX’s Starship.
Standing at approximately 400 feet (123 meters) tall, SpaceX’s Starship is the largest rocket to date. Musk mentioned a possible seventh test flight of the entire rocket from Texas later on Thursday, aiming to replicate the success of catching the returning booster with a giant mechanical arm in October.
NASA plans to utilize Starship for landing astronauts on the moon in the coming years as part of the Artemis program. Blue Origin’s lunar lander, named Blue Moon, will play a role in future moon missions as well.
As NASA transitions leadership, Administrator Bill Nelson has advocated for fostering competition in lunar landing capabilities, resembling the approach of contracting multiple companies for transporting astronauts to the International Space Station. Nelson will be stepping down when the new administration takes office.
Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman has been nominated by the President to lead NASA, pending Senate confirmation. Isaacman, who has embarked on two privately funded SpaceX flights to orbit, will oversee the agency’s future endeavors in space exploration.
Initially planned to send twin spacecraft to Mars for NASA, New Glenn’s debut was postponed due to delays. Nonetheless, Blue Origin intends to continue testing the New Glenn rocket, with potential future missions in the pipeline. The two small spacecraft, dubbed Escapade, will orbit Mars to study its atmosphere and magnetic field.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
