Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, sent a huge new rocket into space on Thursday, carrying a prototype satellite into orbit thousands of miles above the Earth’s surface.
The seven-engine, 320-foot New Glenn rocket (named after the late astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth) was launched on its first test flight. It was launched from a NASA launch pad in Florida, drawing cheers from the assembled crowd. Catch a pre-dawn tour on a nearby beach.
After the spacecraft reached its orbital target about 13 minutes later, Blue Origin employees celebrated with company founder Bezos at mission control.
“What a great day,” said launch commentator Arian Cornell.
The launch was quickly praised on social media by fellow billionaire space mogul Elon Musk, who wrote: “Congratulations on reaching orbit on your first attempt!” on his X account.
The company also wanted to land the booster on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean so it could be recycled, but that didn’t work out.
Bezos was fine with that, but said before the flight that trying to retrieve the machine on the first try was “a little crazy.”
Mr. Bezos has provided the company with a large sum of money, but he has not disclosed the amount invested.
He founded Blue Origin 25 years ago and since 2021 has been ferrying wealthy passengers to the ends of space.
The company also invested more than $1 billion in Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Complex 36 is the historic site where NASA’s Mariner and Pioneer spacecraft were launched half a century ago.
Blue Origin hopes to launch about six more New Glenn flights this year, which could eventually carry spacecraft and astronauts into orbit or to the moon’s surface.
Bezos said over the weekend that “there’s room for a lot of winners” to emerge from the nearby rocket factory, calling this “the very beginning of this new phase of the space age, and we all work together.” ” he added. Industry…to lower the cost of access to space. ”
New Glenn’s flight was scheduled to take off on Monday, but ice buildup in the rocket’s piping delayed the launch.
The rocket’s debut was supposed to help send two NASA spacecraft to Mars, but the idea was scrapped last October because it wasn’t ready in time.
The two small spacecraft, named Escapade, will continue to fly on rockets. But it won’t be until spring at the earliest.
Eventually, it will study Mars’ atmosphere and magnetic environment while orbiting the Red Planet.
Blue Origin’s lunar module (aptly named Blue Moon) will also carry astronauts to the moon.
