We at SpaceCenter.org congratulate Blue Origin on this tremendous achievement and milestone in space exploration. …they had their first successful launch and landing of their reusable booster! The event took place on a recent mission that powered the New Glenn rocket, showcasing the company’s advancements in reusable rocket technology. This milestone accomplishment brings Blue Origin to parity with SpaceX. Up until today, SpaceX had been the only company to achieve such an achievement.
Through the course of the mission, the reusable booster would have split from New Glenn’s upper stage post-launch. After its separation, the core booster accomplished a flawless landing on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, Blue Origin has flown and landed its Crew capsule. For Rocket Lab, this accomplishment is an important milestone in its efforts to make space travel more affordable.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy-lift rocket at the launch pad. Escapade satellites, pictured together above, are now on a mission of their own—to travel to Mars. With the Escapade project, we want to collect the most valuable data we can regarding the Martian atmosphere and magnetic field. It will take the satellites roughly 22 months to get there. Once they get there, they’ll enter orbit and begin their science observations.
This latest achievement is further testament to Blue Origin’s focus on pioneering new methods for aerospace technology. The company has done a very good job showing the reuse of rocket components. This increases its own operational efficiency and helps make space more accessible for future missions.
