Blue Origin Rocket Reaches Intended Orbit on First Launch

January 23, 2025

A New Glenn rocket launches from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., Jan. 16, 2025. The New Glenn rocket marked the first launch from Space Launch Complex 36 in 20 years. (U.S. Space Force photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Samuel Becker)

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket reached its intended orbit during the NG-1 mission completed on Jan. 16, 2025 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

Named after John Glenn — the first American astronaut to orbit Earth — New Glenn is Blue Origin's partially reusable heavy-lift rocket that faced several years of delays prior to achieving its milestone launch last week. In contrast, Blue Origin — the commercial space company founded by Jeff Bezos — has been completing launches with its New Shepard rocket since 2015.

Whereas the New Shephard is a fully reusable suborbital rocket system, New Glenn is designed for low Earth orbit (LEO) and more advanced space missions, including potentially reaching the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis program. The 320-foot rocket is one of the largest space vehicles ever built, and is capable of carrying more than 13 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), and 45 metric tons to LEO.

New Glenn has two stages, including a reusable first stage powered by seven liquid oxygen/liquefied natural gas combustion engines capable of generating 550,000 lbf (2,450 kN) thrust at sea level with deep-throttle capability. Two reusable BE-3U engines capable of generating 60,000 lbf (712 kN) of vacuum thrust power the second stage.

Blue Origin confirmed the launch in a Jan. 16 press release, noting that the rocket's seven BE-4 engines ignited and the second stage reached its final orbit following two successful burns of the BE-3U engines. The NG-1 mission successfully deployed the Blue Ring Pathfinder, a space logistics vehicle, that was confirmed post launch by Blue Origin to be receiving data in space.

The rocket's reusable first stage booster was lost during the descent phase, which will require an FAA investigation. Blue Origin has not released many details about the lost booster or the launch following its completion, other than several social media posts with updates about it from Dave Limp, CEO of Blue Origin, on X.

“I’m incredibly proud New Glenn achieved orbit on its first attempt,” said Dave Limp, CEO, Blue Origin, in a post to his X account. “We knew landing our booster, So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance, on the first try was an ambitious goal. We’ll learn a lot from today and try again at our next launch this spring. Thank you to all of Team Blue for this incredible milestone.”

Future New Glenn missions will carry the Blue Moon Mark 1 cargo lander and the Mark 2 crewed lander to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program. The New Glenn program has several vehicles in production and multiple years of orders. Customers include NASA, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, and several telecommunications providers, among others.

Additionally, Blue Origin is certifying New Glenn with the U.S. Space Force for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program to meet emerging national security objectives. The NG-1 mission served as the first of several certification flights as part of the NSSL program.

The Space Force’s Space Systems Command, in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office, manages the NSSL program. The mission of the NSSL program is to acquire launch services to provide critical space support required to satisfy Department of Defense warfighter, national security, and other government spacelift missions while fostering interagency and commercial cooperation.

"Our Blue Ring Pathfinder hit all our mission objectives within the planned six-hour journey after being inserted into the desired orbit by New Glenn with an apogee of 19,300 km and a perigee of 2,400 km at a 30-degree inclination," Limp said in a statement posted to his X account. "GS2 and the BE-3U engines nailed insertion with a less than 1% deviation from our exact orbital injection target."

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