Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket made history on Thursday, landing successfully on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean just nine minutes after taking off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The accomplishment marked a significant milestone for the private space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos.
The 320-foot-tall (98-meter) New Glenn rocket soared to an altitude of 79 miles (127 kilometers), then began a controlled plunge back into the atmosphere, targeting a landing on Blue Origin's offshore recovery vessel named Jacklyn. The booster successfully landed on its second try, with the on-target touchdown coming after months of preparation and testing.
The mission was part of a two-year journey to Mars for NASA's ESCAPADE satellites, which were launched on top of the New Glenn rocket. Two identical spacecraft, each about a half-ton in mass fully fueled, will now loiter in a unique orbit more than a million miles from Earth until next November, when they will set off for the red planet.
The successful landing marks a major achievement for Blue Origin and comes almost exactly a decade after the company landed its smaller suborbital New Shepard rocket for the first time. The accomplishment also puts Blue Origin in second place among companies that have propulsively landed orbital-class rocket boosters, behind SpaceX, which has logged 532 landings with its Falcon booster fleet.
For NASA, the mission represents an opportunity to understand Mars' past and present, which is crucial for future missions aimed at sending humans to the red planet. The ESCAPADE satellites will gather data from different locations around Mars, providing a series of multipoint snapshots of solar wind and atmospheric conditions.
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has been designed to launch human-rated lunar landers as part of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2025. The company plans to reuse its boosters multiple times, aiming for a fleet of reusable rockets that can each be flown up to 25 times.
The successful landing on Thursday was watched with excitement at Blue Origin facilities around the country, where live views of cheering employees were piped in to the company's webcast of the flight. The moment of touchdown appeared electric, and it marked a pivotal moment for the New Glenn program, which has been working towards this milestone for years.
As the US Space Force examines the results of Thursday's launch, Blue Origin officials can finally say they are part of the same reusable rocket club as SpaceX. Within days, Blue Origin's recovery vessel is expected to return to Port Canaveral, Florida, where ground crews will offload the New Glenn booster and move it to a hangar for inspections and refurbishment.
The mission was made possible by $80 million in funding from NASA, which paid about 20% less than the cost of launching on any other dedicated rocket. The company accepted the risk of launching on an unproven rocket, which hasn't yet been certified by NASA or the Space Force for government space missions.
With this milestone achieved, Blue Origin takes a major step forward in its quest to become a leading player in the commercial launch industry. As the New Glenn program continues to ramp up, it's clear that Jeff Bezos' company is on track to make history again and take humanity further into space.
The 320-foot-tall (98-meter) New Glenn rocket soared to an altitude of 79 miles (127 kilometers), then began a controlled plunge back into the atmosphere, targeting a landing on Blue Origin's offshore recovery vessel named Jacklyn. The booster successfully landed on its second try, with the on-target touchdown coming after months of preparation and testing.
The mission was part of a two-year journey to Mars for NASA's ESCAPADE satellites, which were launched on top of the New Glenn rocket. Two identical spacecraft, each about a half-ton in mass fully fueled, will now loiter in a unique orbit more than a million miles from Earth until next November, when they will set off for the red planet.
The successful landing marks a major achievement for Blue Origin and comes almost exactly a decade after the company landed its smaller suborbital New Shepard rocket for the first time. The accomplishment also puts Blue Origin in second place among companies that have propulsively landed orbital-class rocket boosters, behind SpaceX, which has logged 532 landings with its Falcon booster fleet.
For NASA, the mission represents an opportunity to understand Mars' past and present, which is crucial for future missions aimed at sending humans to the red planet. The ESCAPADE satellites will gather data from different locations around Mars, providing a series of multipoint snapshots of solar wind and atmospheric conditions.
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has been designed to launch human-rated lunar landers as part of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2025. The company plans to reuse its boosters multiple times, aiming for a fleet of reusable rockets that can each be flown up to 25 times.
The successful landing on Thursday was watched with excitement at Blue Origin facilities around the country, where live views of cheering employees were piped in to the company's webcast of the flight. The moment of touchdown appeared electric, and it marked a pivotal moment for the New Glenn program, which has been working towards this milestone for years.
As the US Space Force examines the results of Thursday's launch, Blue Origin officials can finally say they are part of the same reusable rocket club as SpaceX. Within days, Blue Origin's recovery vessel is expected to return to Port Canaveral, Florida, where ground crews will offload the New Glenn booster and move it to a hangar for inspections and refurbishment.
The mission was made possible by $80 million in funding from NASA, which paid about 20% less than the cost of launching on any other dedicated rocket. The company accepted the risk of launching on an unproven rocket, which hasn't yet been certified by NASA or the Space Force for government space missions.
With this milestone achieved, Blue Origin takes a major step forward in its quest to become a leading player in the commercial launch industry. As the New Glenn program continues to ramp up, it's clear that Jeff Bezos' company is on track to make history again and take humanity further into space.
Oh my goodness, I'm so happy for Blue Origin!!! They must be totally thrilled after working so hard for this milestone! Nine minutes from launch to landing is insane! 
And can you believe they got it right on the second try? 
That's what I call perseverance and dedication. NASA's ESCAPADE satellites are going to make some amazing discoveries about Mars, and this mission brings us one step closer to humans returning to the Moon. 
Jeff Bezos' vision is truly inspiring, and I have no doubt that Blue Origin will continue to push boundaries in space exploration. 
Fingers crossed for their future endeavors!
. I mean, who needs a 320-foot-tall rocket just to land on a platform in the middle of the ocean? And $80 million from NASA for what? So they can say they're part of the reusable rocket club now? Please 
. It's all about making money and getting ahead, not about pushing the boundaries of space exploration. And don't even get me started on the lack of transparency about this mission - what exactly are these ESCAPADE satellites going to do up there? 
. So, Blue Origin lands its New Glenn rocket on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean after months of prep work 
. That's like trying to hit a target with an air hockey puck 
! SpaceX has been doing this for ages (532 landings and counting 
), but it's awesome to see Blue Origin join the party. And, NASA's ESCAPADE satellites are going to Mars in 2025 
- can't wait for those Martian selfies 
! Jeff Bezos' company is on a roll now, and we're all watching with bated breath 
.
so they were able to land a rocket on a floating platform after just 9 minutes in the air? 
that's insane! how does it work, though? like, what makes the rocket go back down so controlled? and is this gonna change the way we launch stuff into space? 
the fact that they landed on their second try is insane lol what was going through their minds when they saw it touch down safely 
like "yessss we did it!!" 
now the US space force needs to get on board and make this reusable rocket thing happen ASAP 
️ its all about progress 
~1 million miles from Earth - that's some serious space travel 
collecting data left and right, providing insight into Martian solar winds & atmospheres. Blue Origin's Artemis program is on the move, but NASA's got its eyes on sending humans to Mars ASAP 
! And I'm loving how they're paving the way for reusable rockets, it's all about reducing costs and making space travel more accessible 
. We need to keep pushing forward with innovation and exploration, and this achievement is definitely giving me hope for our future in space