Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket has achieved a historic orbital milestone, marking a significant step forward for Jeff Bezos’ space venture as it competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
With its seven engines roaring to life, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 36 at Florida‘s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early this morning (Jan. 16). The mission represents Blue Origin’s first entry into orbit—a major milestone for the Jeff Bezos-owned space venture as it attempts to make progress in a field currently dominated by Elon Musk‘s SpaceX.
A New Era for Commercial Space
“Today marks a new era for Blue Origin and for commercial space,” said Jarrett Jones, senior vice president for Blue Origin’s New Glenn project. “We’re focused on ramping our launch cadence and manufacturing rates.” The successful maiden voyage of the New Glenn rocket is a significant step forward for Blue Origin, which has been in an R&D phase for a long time.
The Rocket’s Journey
As it flew over the Atlantic Ocean, the rocket’s booster successfully separated from its upper stage, which subsequently fired up its own engine and entered orbit approximately 13 minutes after liftoff. The rocket carried a prototype of Blue Origin’s Blue Ring vehicle, which aims to eventually host satellites, and is expected to spend six hours in space before de-orbiting and burning up in the atmosphere.
A Secondary Goal Lost
While the main purpose of today’s mission was to reach orbit, Blue Origin also attempted to complete a secondary goal of landing its booster on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. However, shortly after the two-stage rocket separated, Blue Origin lost its booster as it re-entered the atmosphere. A successful return of the booster on New Glenn’s maiden launch had always been considered an overly ambitious goal.
The Space Race Heats Up
New Glenn’s maiden voyage ramps up an ongoing space race between Blue Origin and SpaceX, which were respectively founded by the world’s two richest people. Bezos currently has an estimated net worth of $237 billion, while Musk’s fortune stands at $428.5 billion. Until today, Blue Origin had yet to launch a rocket into orbit, but it plans to use New Glenn rockets to send its Blue Moon Mark 1 lunar lander to the Moon in 2025.
Leadership and Vision
In late 2023, Bezos tapped Dave Limp, a former Amazon executive, to lead Blue Origin. The space venture has been in an R&D phase for a long time, but Limp’s vision is to change this approach and focus on faster progress. Bezos himself has called for swifter progress, saying that his decision to step down as Amazon’s CEO was largely influenced by a need to focus on Blue Origin.
- observer.com | Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Finally Reaches Orbital Milestone
