On Thursday, Blue Origin’s New Shepherd vehicle accomplished that goal. The New Glenn rocket just landed its reusable booster for the first time! This accomplishment represents an incredible technological achievement and a new chapter of opportunity for the booming space industry. The company is today only the second company in the world, after Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to do so. The mission took place in the Atlantic Ocean. After separating from the upper stage of the rocket, the Falcon Heavy booster successfully touched down on a floating landing pad.
NASA Escapade fairing New Glenn rocket with two NASA NASA spacecraft now en route to Mars, called the Escapade satellites. These twin satellites are schedule to begin a 22-month journey to the Red Planet. Once they get there, they will go into orbit around Mars to make crucial observations of its atmosphere and magnetic field. This international collaboration with multiple nations is a key mission for understanding Mars’ climate and potential habitability.
The featured successful landing of the reusable booster goes on to prove Blue Origin’s mantra to methodically innovate to really deliver sustainable and powerful missions to space. By developing technology that allows for the reuse of rocket components, the company aims to reduce costs and increase the frequency of space missions. The booster’s landing provides another addition to Blue Origin’s emerging aerospace legacy of firsts and milestones.
The drop of the reusable booster from the upper stage is one of the most critical aspects of the launch process. After this separation, the booster performed a sequence of complex and carefully timed maneuvers to set up an accurate landing on the short landing platform. This successful touchdown demonstrates Blue Origin’s proven engineering ability and in-service operational excellence in advancing the state of technology for space exploration.