Blue Origin launched its new rocket on its first test flight Thursday, sending a prototype satellite into orbit thousands of miles above Earth.
Named after the first American to orbit Earth, the New Glenn rocket blasted off from Florida, rising from the same ramp used to launch NASA’s Mariner and Pioneer space probes a half-century ago .
After years of preparation and significant funding from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the 98-meter rocket carried an experimental platform designed to accommodate satellites or release them into their appropriate orbits.
All seven main engines were ignited upon liftoff as the rocket streaked across the pre-dawn sky to the delight of spectators lining nearby beaches. Mr. Bezos was on hand at Mission Control and Blue Origin employees erupted in cheers once the craft successfully reached orbit 13 minutes later, a feat that was praised by Elon Musk of SpaceX.
The first stage booster missed landing on a barge in the Atlantic, but the company stressed that the most important goal had been achieved. Mr. Bezos acknowledged before the launch that it was “a little crazy” to try to land the booster on the first try.
-New Glenn was scheduled to lift off before dawn Monday, but ice buildup in critical plumbing forced the launch to be postponed. The rocket is designed to carry spacecraft and eventually astronauts into orbit, as well as to the Moon.
Founded 25 years ago by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin has been allowing paying passengers to travel to the edge of space since 2021. Short flights from Texas use smaller rockets.
Blue Origin has invested more than US$1 billion in the launch site used by New Glenn, rebuilding the historic Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Center.
Blue Origin plans six to eight New Glenn flights this year, with the next scheduled for this spring.
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