Nearly 25 years after its founding, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is preparing to launch its first orbital rocket, New Glenn, marking its entry into the competitive launch industry currently dominated by SpaceX. Company executives have stated their intention to launch the towering New Glenn rocket before the end of the year. However, an air traffic advisory posted last week indicates that the launch may not occur until January 6 at the earliest.
Blue Origin has completed most of the necessary pre-launch tests and paperwork. The company received its launch license for New Glenn from federal regulators last week, authorizing launches for the next five years. On the same day, Blue Origin successfully conducted a hot fire test, a critical launch dress rehearsal. According to Blue Origin CEO David Limp, the final step is to attach the fairing, which houses the rocket’s payload.
When New Glenn finally launches, its seven Blue Origin-made BE-4 engines will generate over 3.8 million pounds of thrust, propelling the rocket from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 320-foot-tall rocket will carry technology demonstrators for Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft, an orbital transfer vehicle designed for transportation, logistics, and satellite servicing.
New Glenn and Blue Ring are part of Blue Origin’s broader strategy to compete in various sectors of the space industry. The company aims to challenge multiple competitors, including SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which currently dominates the market for national security and commercial satellite launches. Blue Origin is also developing lunar landers, private space stations, and other space technologies.
Until now, Blue Origin has been primarily known for its New Shepard suborbital rocket, which carries space tourists and some cargo on brief suborbital flights.
If all goes according to plan, New Glenn’s booster will return to Earth and land vertically on a floating barge, allowing it to be refurbished and reused up to 25 times. NASA had initially planned to launch twin spacecraft to Mars on this inaugural mission, but due to the launch delay from October, the space agency decided to reschedule them for a later New Glenn launch. Blue Origin has also secured launch agreements with the Space Force, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and other commercial entities.
