Details on Blue Origin's Maiden Launch of New Glenn Rocket

Jimmy Jing

— 2 min read

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is eagerly anticipated for its inaugural launch, poised to make a significant mark in space exploration. Initially delayed due to weather conditions, the Jeff Bezos-owned company has rescheduled the launch for no earlier than Monday, January 13, with a three-hour window commencing at 1 AM ET. Enthusiasts can catch live coverage starting an hour before the launch on Blue Origin's website, X, or the company's YouTube channel.

This maiden mission, labeled NG-1, is set to become Blue Origin's first Space Force national security certification flight, an essential step to securing government-related contracts, a competitive arena also populated by companies like SpaceX. Notably, the reusable first stage of New Glenn is engineered for a minimum of 25 flights, with numerous vehicles currently in production at Blue Origin's facilities.

Image of Blue Origin’s Blue Ring Pathfinder craft, orbiting Earth.

The Blue Ring Pathfinder

(Blue Origin)

Described by Blue Origin as "our giant, reusable rocket built for bigger things," New Glenn impresses with its towering height of over 320 ft (98 m). The rocket's capabilities are earmarked for ambitious missions, potentially to Mars, and practical payloads such as over 45 metric tons to low Earth orbit and 13 to geostationary transfer orbit. In comparison, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy can lift nearly 64 metric tons to LEO.

For the current mission, the rocket will carry a prototype of the Blue Ring Pathfinder, a multipurpose vehicle designed to transport, refuel, and host satellites. The craft can handle three metric tons of cargo, and this launch will serve to test its core systems and operational readiness.

Photo of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket firing its engines during a late December, 2023, dress rehearsal ahead of its first launch.

Blue Origin

New Glenn's journey to space will start from Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral. After liftoff, the rocket's reusable first stage will aim to land on the barge "Jacklyn," stationed hundreds of miles off in the Atlantic Ocean. Named after astronaut John Glenn, this rocket has covered significant milestones, including a successful dress rehearsal on December 27, where its engines underwent a 24-second ignition vital for forthcoming launches.

Originally set for a launch in October with two NASA satellites destined for Mars, previous schedules were adjusted due to preparation delays.

Update 1/13/2025 3:18AM ET: Technical setbacks have caused the postponement of today's planned launch. Blue Origin commented, "We’re standing down on today's launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue. We're reviewing opportunities for our next launch attempt."

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