Blue Origin's Big Step: New Glenn Rocket Lands Safely After Mars Mission
Blue Origin, a company founded by Jeff Bezos over 25 years ago, reached a significant milestone on Thursday. Their massive New Glenn rocket, standing 18 stories tall, successfully landed on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean.
Launch and Landing Details
- Launch Time: 3:55 pm EST (20:55 UTC)
- Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
- Landing Time: Nine minutes after launch
- Recovery Vessel: Named Jacklyn
The launch was initially delayed from Sunday due to bad weather and a solar storm.
Mission Payload
The rocket carried two NASA science probes on a two-year journey to Mars. This marked the first time operational satellites flew on Blue Origin’s new rocket, named after the late NASA astronaut John Glenn.
Rocket Specifications
- Engines: Use super-cold liquified natural gas and liquid oxygen
- Thrust: Over 3.8 million pounds
- Altitude Reached: 79 miles
Significance for Blue Origin
This success is a big deal for Blue Origin, which has struggled to keep up with SpaceX in the commercial launch business.
- SpaceX Landings: 532 boosters
- Blue Origin Landings: 1 orbital-class booster and 34 suborbital New Shepard rockets
The company plans to reuse the same booster next year for the first launch of the Blue Moon Mark 1 lunar cargo lander.
Mission Objectives
The mission wasn’t just about the landing. The second stage of the rocket fired its engines twice to propel itself toward deep space. It deployed NASA’s two ESCAPADE satellites, which will study how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ atmosphere.
Scientists believe this interaction helped turn Mars from a warm, habitable world into a global desert.
ESCAPADE Mission Details
- Developed and Launched Budget: About $80 million
- NASA’s Launch Cost: About $20 million
- Unique Orbit: Satellites will loiter until next November, then head to Mars and begin their science mission in 2028
Industry Impact
This achievement opens a new era for Blue Origin and the industry, as they aim to launch, land, and reuse rockets repeatedly. It’s a significant step in understanding Mars’ environment and preparing for future human missions to the red planet.
