The first launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy rocket was scheduled to take place on January 10 at 09:00 Moscow time. The purpose of the launch is to successfully enter orbit. An additional goal is to land the first (return) stage on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. However, due to strong winds in the landing area, the launch was postponed by two days.
Image source: Blue Origin
The start time remains the same – 01:00 local time (09:00 Moscow time) with a three-hour window. If the launch on January 12 does not take place, the dates up to January 16 with the same start time remain as reserve days. The upcoming weekend and even the entire week could be a busy time for Blue Origin employees, as the first launch of a new rocket is one of the biggest tests in recent years.
The 98-meter-tall New Glenn rocket is closer in capabilities to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. It is capable of delivering 45 tons of payload into low-Earth orbit, while Falcon Heavy is designed for 64 tons. Blue Origin expects to conclude a number of contracts with NASA and the US Space Force, as well as numerous launches to launch Amazon Kuiper Internet satellites into space .
To compete with rockets, SpaceX will need to implement reusable first stages. Blue Origin says each returnable New Glenn stage can be used up to 25 times. The first launch should show how well these plans have been translated into reality both in hardware and software. However, this time the return of the first stage to a barge in the ocean is only a pleasant, but optional addition to the main task: the safe launch of the second stage into low-Earth orbit.
If it weren’t for the strong seas, we could already observe this exciting experiment today. However, you will have to be patient.