Jeff Bezos’s space company is about to launch New Glenn, a reusable rocket intended to rival SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, for the first time
By Alex Wilkins
8 January 2025
New Glenn on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida
Blue Origin
Blue Origin, the space company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is set to launch its reusable New Glenn rocket for the first time on 10 January. If successful, the rocket could become a rival to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, which has become the go-to launch vehicle for companies looking to put large payloads into orbit.
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What is New Glenn?
New Glenn is a 98 metre-tall rocket, around the height of a 30-storey building, designed to deliver payloads of up to 45 tonnes to low Earth orbit. It is expected to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, which can carry about 64 tonnes of cargo.
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The rocket has two stages. The first stage is designed to land on a sea platform, similar to Falcon Heavy, and Blue Origin claims it will be reusable for 25 missions. At the top of the rocket is a disposable upper stage where cargo and mission payloads can be stored.
When will the launch take place?
New Glenn has been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration to launch in a three-hour window starting at 1am local time (6am GMT) on 10 January from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A launch window had already been approved by the FAA for 6 January, but the 10 January window is the first to be confirmed by Blue Origin, too. “This is our first flight and we’ve prepared rigorously for it,” said Jarrett Jones at Blue Origin in a statement.