Blue Origin to Launch 320-Foot New Glenn Rocket on Sunday, Targeting Orbit with Blue Ring Pathfinder

Jan 10, 2025, 02:30 AM

Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, is set to launch its New Glenn rocket for the first time on Sunday, January 12, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch window opens at 1 a.m. ET and lasts for three hours. The New Glenn rocket, standing at 320 feet tall, aims to reach Earth's orbit and deploy the Blue Ring Pathfinder, a demonstrator for Blue Origin's future Blue Ring spacecraft. The mission, known as NG-1, is crucial for Blue Origin as it seeks to challenge SpaceX's dominance in the commercial space market. The company plans to land the New Glenn's first stage on a drone ship named Jacklyn in the Atlantic Ocean, a move that has delayed the launch due to high sea states. This inaugural flight is a significant step for Blue Origin, aiming to eventually launch Amazon's Kuiper satellite network and compete with SpaceX's Starlink.