Blue Origin Sends New Glenn Rocket into Orbit
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Blue Origin just pulled off a big first by launching its much-anticipated New Glenn rocket this morning. Standing nearly five times taller than the company’s well-known New Shepard, New Glenn thundered into orbit carrying a special payload called the Blue Ring Pathfinder—a test module capable of moving satellites around Earth’s orbit and potentially reaching as far as the moon. Although the booster was intended to make a controlled ocean landing, it was ultimately lost on reentry, a hiccup the company says it’ll learn from before the next mission.
Jeff Bezos, who founded Blue Origin 25 years ago, called it a fresh milestone in private space travel, even if the next flight will likely tweak the booster recovery plan. Inside sources say the team intends to ramp up launch frequency to monthly missions, aiming to meet booming demand for commercial and defense satellite deployment. The Department of Defense seems especially keen on the rocket’s satellite-moving module, hinting at potential national security applications.
All eyes now turn to Blue Origin’s follow-up flight, rumored for this spring, to see if the booster can nail its landing on the next try. If so, New Glenn might soon be a top pick for orbit-bound cargo, from private internet satellites to government payloads.
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