Blue Origin Makes History With New Glenn Launch, Sticking the Landing of Booster.
In a major breakthrough, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket on Thursday, carrying NASA's twin spacecraft ESCAPADE to Mars. The launch marked a significant milestone in the private space company's pursuit of reusing boosters and reducing costs associated with launching payloads into orbit.
The mission was delayed multiple times due to weather conditions both on Earth and in space, but it ultimately paid off as the rocket's second-ever flight successfully deployed the twin spacecraft. Blue Origin's achievement came amidst heightened competition between the private space sector and government agencies, including NASA, which recently announced its plans for a crewed mission to the Moon.
Blue Origin's accomplishment was met with praise from rivals and industry experts alike. Jared Isaacman, a SpaceX ally who was nominated by President Donald Trump to head NASA, congratulated Blue Origin on Twitter, calling it "damn that was exciting!" Kiko Dontchev, Vice President of Launch at SpaceX, echoed sentiments, stating that the feat moves the country and industry forward.
The New Glenn rocket's second-inaugural flight carried the ESCAPADE twin spacecraft, which is designed to study Mars' climate history. Once in orbit, the spacecraft will find a "benign, safe parking orbit" to gather data on space weather on Earth before embarking on its journey to Mars in 2027.
The success of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket marks an important step towards more frequent missions to Mars. With reusable boosters, the private sector can potentially reduce costs and increase the frequency of launches outside the narrow window of direct alignment between Earth and Mars.
Industry insiders see this achievement as a significant indicator of Blue Origin's progress in its pursuit of reusing boosters and reducing costs associated with launching payloads into orbit. George Nield, a senior aerospace executive who has flown with Blue Origin, described the launch as an "indicator" of the company's capabilities and potential to play increased roles in near-term lunar exploration.
In a major breakthrough, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket on Thursday, carrying NASA's twin spacecraft ESCAPADE to Mars. The launch marked a significant milestone in the private space company's pursuit of reusing boosters and reducing costs associated with launching payloads into orbit.
The mission was delayed multiple times due to weather conditions both on Earth and in space, but it ultimately paid off as the rocket's second-ever flight successfully deployed the twin spacecraft. Blue Origin's achievement came amidst heightened competition between the private space sector and government agencies, including NASA, which recently announced its plans for a crewed mission to the Moon.
Blue Origin's accomplishment was met with praise from rivals and industry experts alike. Jared Isaacman, a SpaceX ally who was nominated by President Donald Trump to head NASA, congratulated Blue Origin on Twitter, calling it "damn that was exciting!" Kiko Dontchev, Vice President of Launch at SpaceX, echoed sentiments, stating that the feat moves the country and industry forward.
The New Glenn rocket's second-inaugural flight carried the ESCAPADE twin spacecraft, which is designed to study Mars' climate history. Once in orbit, the spacecraft will find a "benign, safe parking orbit" to gather data on space weather on Earth before embarking on its journey to Mars in 2027.
The success of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket marks an important step towards more frequent missions to Mars. With reusable boosters, the private sector can potentially reduce costs and increase the frequency of launches outside the narrow window of direct alignment between Earth and Mars.
Industry insiders see this achievement as a significant indicator of Blue Origin's progress in its pursuit of reusing boosters and reducing costs associated with launching payloads into orbit. George Nield, a senior aerospace executive who has flown with Blue Origin, described the launch as an "indicator" of the company's capabilities and potential to play increased roles in near-term lunar exploration.