Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Jan. 16. Photo: Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launched its massive new rocket into space Thursday, successfully reaching orbit on its very first test flight.
Why it matters: The successful launch of the New Glenn rocket came after several delays and marks an important milestone for the company, which had previously only flown suborbital flights.
- The New Glenn’s launch also notches a win for the company in its bid to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the space satellite business.
The big picture: “We’re thrilled with today’s outcome,” Blue Origin said in a statement on X Thursday, noting that the launch achieved the company’s primary objective of reaching orbit.
- The company conceded that the goal of landing the rocket’s reusable first stage booster on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean failed, after the booster was lost during reentry.
- “We knew landing the first stage on the first try was ambitious. We’ll learn, refine, and apply that knowledge to our next launch in the spring,”Blue Origin added.
State of play: The 320-foot New Glenn rocket is designed to be reusable.
- The engines and propellants powering the first stage of its flight are designed to last for at least 25 flights.
- The rocket could prove to be Blue Origin’s answer to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which was the world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket, according to Space.
Go deeper: Blue Origin scraps debut launch of New Glenn rocket
