Bezos’ Blue Origin efficiently launches SpaceX rival

The billionaire area race entered a brand new section right now when Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin efficiently launched its 320-foot-tall New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

At 2:03AM ET this morning, New Glenn’s seven reusable BE-4 engines ignited to propel the NG-1 rocket into area, with the second stage and payload reaching orbit to attain Blue Origin’s major mission objective. It additionally efficiently activated its Blue Ring Pathfinder payload car which is “receiving information and performing nicely.”

In parallel, the primary stage booster — dubbed, “So You’re Telling Me There’s A Probability” — autonomously descended to its touchdown platform positioned a number of hundred miles downrange within the Atlantic. Because it approached the Jacklyn barge, the booster misplaced contact with management and stopped sending information. Blue Origin confirmed that the booster was misplaced throughout touchdown. The corporate will strive once more within the spring.

However, Blue Origin’s objective for right now’s uncrewed launch was for New Glenn to achieve orbit. Something past that might be a bonus. “It doesn’t matter what, we are going to be taught quite a bit,” mentioned Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp forward of right now’s launch. 

The launch comes after nearly a decade of improvement and places Elon Musk’s SpaceX on discover. New Glenn has about the identical carrying capability as SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, and is supposed to shuttle cargo into area on the reusable launch platform. This contains satellites for Amazon’s rival to Starlink’s high-speed low-latency web service. The primary of those 3,236 Venture Kuiper satellites are anticipated to launch into low Earth orbit quickly, aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket earlier than New Glenn can take over the heavy lifting.

“I’m extremely proud New Glenn achieved orbit on its first try,” mentioned Limp. “We knew touchdown our booster on the primary strive was an bold objective. We’ll be taught quite a bit from right now and take a look at once more at our subsequent launch this spring.”

Replace, January sixteenth: Added further mission success particulars and quote from Limp.