Blue Origin launched its massive new rocket on its first test flight Thursday, sending up a prototype satellite to orbit thousands of miles above Earth. Named after the first American to orbit Earth, the New Glenn rocket blasted off from Florida.
Years in the making with heavy funding by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the 320-foot (98-meter) rocket carried an experimental platform designed to host satellites or release them into their proper orbits.
Company employees erupted in cheers and frenzied applause once the craft successfully reached orbit. The first-stage booster missed its landing on a barge in the Atlantic minutes after liftoff so it could be recycled.
New Glenn, which honors John Glenn, is five times taller than Blue Origin's previous rockets. Bezos envisions multiple successful New Glenn flights this year, with the next one planned for spring.
Elon Musk's SpaceX is also making advancements in rocket technology, with the Starship rocket potentially launching later Thursday from Texas. Musk aims to catch the returning booster at the launch pad with giant mechanical arms.
Blue Origin's lander, Blue Moon, is set to debut on the third lunar touchdown by astronauts under NASA's Artemis program. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson advocates for multiple competing moon landers, similar to the strategy for ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station.
Overall, the space industry is experiencing a new phase of the space age, with collaborations and advancements in rocket technology driving down the cost of access to space for all stakeholders.
