Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin assembles New Glenn rocket for upcoming first flight; here’s all you need to know

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is one step closer to its inaugural launch with the successful assembly of its first and second stages. The heavy-lift rocket, designed to rival industry leaders, was recently stacked for the first time at Blue Origin’s state-of-the-art facility near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The two stages, dubbed “GS-1” and “GS-2,” were joined in a critical milestone as the company prepares for New Glenn’s maiden flight, potentially scheduled for November 2024 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Standing at an impressive 270 feet tall in its two-stage configuration, New Glenn represents Blue Origin’s entry into the competitive heavy-lift launch market.

The rocket boasts a fully reusable first-stage booster, a feature aimed at reducing launch costs and boosting mission frequency. For larger missions, a three-stage version would extend its height to 313 feet, surpassing even SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which ranges from 209 to 230 feet tall depending on the configuration.

The inaugural mission will carry Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft platform as part of a certification flight under the National Security Space Launch program. Sponsored by the Defence Innovation Unit, the mission, dubbed DarkSky-1, will test the Blue Ring platform, which offers versatile services for satellite missions.

Blue Ring can either remain attached to satellites for extended missions or deploy them into orbit. Its advanced manoeuvring capabilities have made it an attractive option for commercial and government clients alike.

The New Glenn rocket’s next steps involve a static fire test of its BE-4 engines. The first stage’s seven engines will be ignited in a crucial trial before the launch. Originally planned for October, the rocket’s debut was pushed back to avoid cost overruns after NASA delayed its twin ESCAPADE Mars probes to 2025.