Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches New Glenn rocket: What to know about SpaceX rival

An enormous Blue Origin rocket meant to challenge SpaceX in regularly deploying satellites and other cargo into orbit underwent its inaugural flight test Thursday morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The New Glenn rocket, developed by the space technology company owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, had been rolled out days ago to the launch pad in preparation for its debut flight. That was before a series of both weather and technical issues delayed the launch, which Blue Origin finally managed to pull off in the predawn hours.

The rocket is the first that Blue Origin developed for the purpose of sending satellites, equipment and – one day – even humans into orbit for paying customers.

The service would be a direct challenge to SpaceX's dominance in the commercial spaceflight market. Of particular note, the company has spent years building up a constellation of thousands of privately-owned Starlink satellites delivering internet to customers around the world.

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Blue Origin's New Glenn spacecraft takes off from Florida

The New Glenn rocket took off at 2:03 a.m. EST from Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Blue Origin said in an update on its website.

The launch complex, which Blue Origin spent $1 billion to rebuild, is located nine miles from where the rocket is manufactured.

The key objective of the uncrewed spaceflight was for the second stage of the vehicle to safely reach orbit before Blue Origin attempted to land the rocket booster, or first stage, on a barge several hundred miles offshore in the Atlantic.

While the second stage did reach orbit and was "performing well," Blue Origin said in its latest update that the booster was lost during the descent. Landing the booster on the first attempt was admittedly "an ambitious goal," Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said in a statement.

“I’m incredibly proud New Glenn achieved orbit on its first attempt,” Limp said. "We’ll learn a lot from today and try again at our next launch this spring."

The vehicle had been slated to get off the ground as early as Jan. 10 before high seas in the Atlantic forced the company to abandon that plan.

The maiden voyage was then planned early Monday before a technical issue was encountered with the vehicle that was later revealed to be ice buildup within critical pipes on the spacecraft. Another launch attempt Tuesday was also scrubbed, that time due to poor weather.

What is the New Glenn?

Named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, New Glenn is a 320-foot heavy-lift launch vehicle that rivals SpaceX's 400-foot Starship in size. Its first stage, powered by seven Blue Origin engines known as BE-4, is designed to be reusable for 25 missions.

On its inaugural flight, the spacecraft carried cargo related to Blue Ring, the company's multi-role orbital platform. The pathfinder remained onboard New Glenn’s second stage for the duration of the six-hour mission.

“Blue Ring plays a critical role in building a road to space, and this mission is an important first step for Blue Ring and enabling dynamic and responsive operations that will greatly benefit our nation,” said Paul Ebertz, a senior vice president of Blue Origin’s in-Space systems, in a statement.

Blue Origin looks to compete with SpaceX

Blue Origin's New Glenn launch comes as the company seeks to be a major player in the commercial space industry, competing with the likes of billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX.

SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket has become one of the most active in the world – a go-to for NASA and even other private companies launching spacecraft into orbit. Musk's commercial space transportation company also leads the way in satellite launches, having launched more than 6,000 operational Starlink satellites into orbit since 2019.

Blue Origin executives said Thursday's launch will move the New Glenn rocket one step closer to shuttling Project Kuiper satellites to orbit and undertaking other missions for paying customers – including NASA and telecommunications providers.

And as SpaceX develops and tests its massive Starship for crewed travel, Blue Origin said New Glenn is similarly slated to launch on future NASA moon missions under the U.S. space agency's Artemis program.

"Today marks a new era for Blue Origin and for commercial space," Jarrett Jones, a Blue Origin senior vice president overseeing the New Glenn, said in a statement "We're focused on ramping our launch cadence and manufacturing rates."

Blue Origin's New Shephard also flying

New Glenn's smaller counterpart, Blue Origin's New Shephard, is also undergoing routine flights.

In October 2024, Blue Origin completed a launch and landing of an uncrewed flight test for its next New Shepard spacecraft, which will one day take humans on suborbital trips high above Earth.

The launch from Texas marked the debut of Blue Origin's NS-27, which is the second New Shepard vehicle designed for passengers. While no humans were aboard during the demonstration, eight of the 26 missions Blue Origin has conducted to date carried a crew on its first New Shepard vehicle – including Bezos himself..

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches giant New Glenn rocket on 1st flight