Blue Origin Launches New Glenn Rocket, Fails to Land Booster
After several delays, Blue Origin, the space company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its massive New Glenn rocket on Thursday.
New Delhi: After several delays, Blue Origin, the space company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its massive New Glenn rocket on Thursday.
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However, the company was unable to land the rocket booster in the Atlantic Ocean as planned.
New Glenn’s Inaugural Mission Lifts Off
New Glenn’s inaugural mission (NG-1) took off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, US, at 12:33 pm IST. The launch was hailed as a significant milestone for the company.
“LIFTOFF! New Glenn is beginning its first-ever ascent toward the stars,” Blue Origin announced on social media platform X.
The company confirmed that the second stage engine cutoff was successful and that the second stage and payload had reached orbit. “Another burn coming up,” Blue Origin added, indicating further phases of the mission.
Mission’s Main Goal Achieved Despite Booster Loss
NG-1 is Blue Origin’s “first National Security Space Launch certification flight.” While the mission’s primary goal – to reach orbit – was successfully achieved, the company’s ambitious plan to land the booster on a platform in the Atlantic was unsuccessful. The booster was lost during reentry into the atmosphere.
“We did it! Orbital. Great night for Team Blue. On to spring and trying again on the landing,” posted Dave Limp, CEO of Blue Origin, on X, sharing a video of the launch.
Elon Musk Congratulates Blue Origin on Orbital Achievement
Rival Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, also extended congratulations to Jeff Bezos and the Blue Origin team. “Congratulations on reaching orbit on the first attempt!” Musk wrote on X.
Also Read: Technical Issues Force Blue Origin to Delay New Glenn Rocket Launch Again
New Glenn’s Payload and Future Plans
While the rocket did not deploy satellites during this mission, it carried a payload – the Blue Ring Pathfinder, which is a test version of the company’s new “Blue Ring” spacecraft platform. The mission aims to validate Blue Ring’s communications capabilities from orbit to ground.
Standing 98 meters tall – equivalent to the height of a 32-storey building – New Glenn is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built and launched. It is named after NASA astronaut John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit Earth in 1962.
Delays and Future Launches
Originally planned for a 2020 debut, New Glenn faced years of delays before its first successful launch. Blue Origin aims to conduct up to 10 New Glenn launches this year, continuing its push toward advancing space exploration.
