spacetoday.net: New Glenn reaches orbit on first launch

New Glenn reaches orbit on first launch

Posted: Sun, Jan 19, 2025, 10:20 AM ET (1520 GMT)
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket reached orbit on its inaugural launch early Thursday, but the booster didn't stick the landing. The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 2:03 am EST (0703 GMT). The first and second stages worked as planned during the rocket's ascent to orbit, with the upper stage performing a second burn later to enter an elliptical medium Earth orbit. The booster, though, failed to make a landing on a ship in the Atlantic. The company didn't disclose details of what went wrong on its descent. Blue Origin has been working on New Glenn for more than a decade and the vehicle's first flight was delayed by several years. A second New Glenn launch could take place in the spring, CEO Dave Limp said in a post-launch statement.