Blue Origin’s new flagship rocket lifted off for the first time in a crucial test of the Jeff Bezos-backed firm’s ability to challenge SpaceX’s ironclad grip on the launch market.
New Glenn thundered off the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida at 2:03 a.m. local time on Thursday. The mission, which is expected to last several hours, aims to put the company’s Blue Ring Pathfinder test satellite into orbit as well as land New Glenn’s lower portion, known as a booster, on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
A few minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s lower portion successfully separated from its upper stage, which continued on its journey to space. Then, roughly 13 minutes into the mission, Blue Origin said the upper portion of New Glenn reached orbit — with cheers erupting inside mission control.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.