On January 16, 2025, the New Glenn heavy launcher from Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin accomplished the first objective of its maiden flight: reaching Earth orbit. The attempt to recover its 1st floor failed.
“Congratulations Blue Origin, you are all in orbit.” Nearly 13 minutes after takeoff, Ariane Cornell, vice-president of Jeff Bezos’ company, confirmed that the second stage of the new New Glenn rocket was indeed orbiting the Earth. On the night of January 16, 2025 at 2:03 a.m. at Cape Canaveral, or 8:03 a.m. in mainland France, the seven BE-4 engines pushing the first stage ignited correctly, slowly lifting the rocket almost 100 m high. After a successful ascent from 0 to 80 km altitude, its two stages separated at t + 3 min 16 s.
Find out what the New Glenn rocket will be used for in our article “New Glenn, Jeff Bezos’ heavy launcher comes on the scene”
In the minutes that followed, the booster (or 1is floor) of New Glenn began its fall towards the Atlantic Ocean on which a recovery barge awaited its gentle landing. Three of its seven engines managed to restart as planned during the descent (at t + 7 min 31 s), while the booster continued to transmit data at least until t + 9 min, then located at a lower altitude 25 km away. Then nothing more. Suggesting probable destruction. “We lost the booster during descent,” Blue Origin later confirmed in a statement.
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The two BE-3 engines of the 2nd stage have given satisfaction even in space, propelling the Blue Ring Pathfinder technology demonstrator on board into a medium altitude orbit, known as MEO. From there, it must transmit data for at least six hours.
Boat to be evacuated
Initially scheduled for January 11, this inaugural flight had been postponed several times for weather reasons, and at least once for technical reasons. On January 13, 2025, the formation of ice obstructing the pipe of an auxiliary power unit (APU) forced the cancellation of the flight, a few tens of minutes before departure. Today, January 16, ten minutes before the takeoff of the New Glenn, the presence of a boat wandering under the trajectory of the launcher caused a delay of half an hour, the time to evacuate the ship from the prohibited zone.
