On January 16, 2025, Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This launch marked a major milestone for the company as it seeks to compete with SpaceX in the commercial space industry. The New Glenn rocket is designed for multiple uses, including deploying satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a planned satellite constellation aimed at providing global broadband internet access.
The New Glenn rocket stands 98 meters (322 feet) tall, making it one of the largest operational rockets today. By comparison:
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is 70 meters (229 feet) tall
NASA’s Saturn V (which took astronauts to the Moon) was 111 meters (363 feet) tall
New Glenn's large size allows it to carry up to 45 tons of cargo to low Earth orbit, making it ideal for satellite deployments and deep-space missions.
New Glenn’s first stage is powered by seven BE-4 engines, which burn liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to generate over 3.85 million pounds of thrust. This engine design is also being used on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket, making it a key part of future U.S. space missions.
The second stage of the rocket uses two BE-3U engines, which are optimized for firing in the vacuum of space and help carry payloads to their final orbit.
A key feature of New Glenn is its reusable first stage, designed to return to Earth after launch and land on a moving ship in the ocean—similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
For this mission, Blue Origin attempted to land the booster on the recovery ship "Jacklyn," a vessel named after Jeff Bezos’s mother. The booster itself was named "So You're Telling Me There's a Chance?", following a tradition of humorous rocket nicknames. However, the landing was unsuccessful, and the booster was lost during descent. Despite this setback, the mission still achieved its primary goal of reaching orbit.
The New Glenn rocket is expected to play a major role in launching payloads for government agencies, private companies, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper—a satellite network designed to provide global broadband internet, similar to SpaceX’s Starlink.
While the first stage did not land successfully, Blue Origin remains committed to improving reusability, which could lower the cost of spaceflight and increase the frequency of launches. Future missions will focus on perfecting booster landings, enabling New Glenn to fly multiple times per year.
With this launch, Blue Origin has officially entered the orbital space race, and its New Glenn rocket could soon become a major player in the satellite and deep-space transportation industry.