New Glenn, the powerful orbital rocket developed by Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, is currently positioned on a launchpad in Florida, ready for its highly anticipated second mission. Inside this cutting-edge rocket is NASA’s ESCAPADE mission, which consists of two identical spacecraft designed to orbit Mars and analyze the dynamics of the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere. This mission represents just one aspect of the upcoming launch, as Blue Origin also aims to achieve a significant milestone: landing the rocket’s booster stage on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean, a feat previously accomplished only by SpaceX.
The liftoff from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida is set for Sunday afternoon, with a launch window spanning 88 minutes, beginning at 2:45 p.m. Eastern time and concluding at 4:13 p.m. Blue Origin will provide online coverage of the launch, starting 45 minutes prior to liftoff. However, if inclement weather or technical issues arise, the launch may be postponed indefinitely. Complicating matters, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that no commercial rockets will be permitted to launch between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. Blue Origin officials are in discussions with the FAA to explore the possibility of obtaining an exception if Sunday's launch is delayed.
Standing at an impressive 321 feet tall, New Glenn is a formidable rocket. It surpasses the height of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets but is shorter than the Starship vehicle currently being tested in Texas. The rocket is named in honor of John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth. A notable feature of New Glenn is its booster stage—the lower section that propels the rocket through the densest part of the atmosphere. This booster is specifically designed to land and be reused, a crucial element for reducing launch costs and increasing frequency.
After lifting the rocket through the lower atmosphere, the New Glenn booster stage will detach and attempt to land on a floating platform named Jacklyn, in tribute to Mr. Bezos’ mother. This platform is strategically positioned about 375 miles off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean. While SpaceX has successfully recovered its Falcon 9 booster stages over 500 times, reusing the New Glenn booster will be vital for Blue Origin to establish itself as a serious competitor in the space launch industry.
The primary payload for this mission is the ESCAPADE mission, or Escape and Plasma Acceleration Dynamics Explorers, funded by NASA and developed by the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. This mission features two identical spacecraft, named Blue and Gold, reflecting the school colors of Berkeley. These spacecraft will embark on a lengthy journey to Mars, expected to arrive in September 2027. Once they reach their destination, Blue and Gold will spend at least a year orbiting the red planet, gathering data on its magnetic field and the movement of charged particles in its thin atmosphere. Additionally, the rocket will carry a NASA communications technology demonstration from the company Viasat.
Originally slated to launch in October 2024, the ESCAPADE mission was postponed when it became clear that New Glenn would not be ready. NASA opted to store the spacecraft until a later date. The inaugural New Glenn launch finally took place in January, successfully delivering its primary payload—a demonstration of Blue Ring, a technology being developed by Blue Origin to facilitate payload movement in space. However, the secondary objective of landing the booster was not achieved, as its engines failed to reignite during re-entry, resulting in a crash into the Atlantic instead of a successful landing on the Jacklyn platform.
