Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, is gearing up for its first orbital voyage with the launch of its new rocket, New Glenn. The rocket, named after a legendary astronaut, stands at 320 feet tall and is set to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch was initially scheduled for Sunday but was postponed to Monday due to unfavorable sea conditions.
The mission, dubbed NG-1, will directly compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which currently dominates the orbital launch market. Blue Origin will attempt to land the first-stage booster on a drone ship named Jacklyn, while the upper stage will carry a Defense Department-funded prototype spaceship called Blue Ring.
Blue Origin has a NASA contract to launch two Mars probes aboard New Glenn and will also support Project Kuiper, a satellite internet constellation. Despite SpaceX’s lead in the space industry, Blue Origin’s deliberate approach may provide valuable backup for the US government.
While Musk dreams of colonizing Mars, Bezos envisions moving heavy industry off-planet to preserve Earth. Blue Origin’s cautious pace contrasts with SpaceX’s rapid development strategy. If New Glenn succeeds, it could offer dissimilar redundancy to the US government.
Both Bezos and Musk have made overtures to the government, with Bezos visiting Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and Amazon donating to the inauguration committee. The rivalry between Blue Origin and SpaceX adds an exciting dynamic to the commercial space race.
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