In an attempt to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the satellite launch industry, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is preparing for the much-anticipated first launch of its New Glenn rocket from Florida early Monday morning.
The New Glenn rocket, which is 30 stories tall and largely reusable, is waiting to take off at 1:30 am ET (0630 GMT) on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket, which is powered by liquid oxygen and methane, is the result of a multi-billion dollar, ten-year development process.
The mission’s bold attempt to recover the rocket’s first-stage booster, which is scheduled to land on a sea-based barge in the Atlantic Ocean within ten minutes of launch, is one of its main features. The second stage will keep moving in the direction of orbit in the meantime.
In a pre-launch interview, Bezos stated, “The booster landing is the thing we’re most nervous about.” “Obviously, anything can happen on a first flight because there could be an anomaly at any mission phase.”
The first prototype of Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft, intended for satellite servicing and national security missions, is part of the payload for New Glenn’s inaugural launch. If the mission is successful, it will accomplish the unique achievement of launching a spacecraft into its target orbit on the first flight of a rocket.
Bezos stated, “It would be a huge success to get to orbit, and landing the booster would be the cherry on top.”
As SpaceX established its supremacy with the reusable Falcon 9 rocket, the construction of the New Glenn rocket was beset by setbacks and difficulties, involving three Blue Origin CEOs. In late 2023, Bezos intensified his efforts, giving New Glenn and its BE-4 engines first priority. Additionally, he appointed Amazon veteran Dave Limp as CEO, which staff claim gave the business a sense of urgency and concentration.
With more than triple SpaceX’s Falcon 9’s power, New Glenn has already landed hundreds of client launch contracts worth billions of dollars.
If Blue Origin’s first launch goes well, it will establish the company as a strong rival in the space sector, thus the stakes are very high.
ALSO READ:
