Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Reaches Orbit on Debut Flight

Massive rocket successfully makes it to orbit on its inaugural launch, marking a pivotal moment for Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight venture.

Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 05:10 PM ET

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Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket lifts off on its highly awaited maiden flight on Thursday, January 16. [Courtesy: Blue Origin]

Key Takeaways:

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully completed its debut launch, achieving orbit and deploying its primary payload, the Blue Ring Pathfinder, after nearly a decade of development.
Despite the orbital success, the rocket's reusable lower stage was lost during its attempted landing, an anomaly that will trigger an FAA investigation and may delay future missions.
This successful orbital mission positions New Glenn as a major competitor to SpaceX for lucrative government and commercial launch contracts, including ambitious lunar missions, moving Blue Origin beyond its previous suborbital tourism focus.

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After nearly a decade of anticipation, Blue Origin’s New Glenn—one of the largest rockets ever built—has made it to space.

During the twilight of Thursday morning, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the 320-foot tall rocket’s seven BE-4 engines ignited liquid oxygen and liquid methane propellant to generate a combined 3.8 million pounds-force of thrust, sending it off in a ball of flames.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.