Next Friday, Blue Origin, a company founded by Jeff Bezos, is set to launch its new New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida. This launch marks a significant milestone for Blue Origin as it seeks to compete with SpaceX, which is scheduled to conduct the seventh test launch of its Starship rocket just hours later.
The New Glenn rocket is expected to take off at 6:00 AM GMT and will aim to reach low Earth orbit. This inaugural flight, dubbed NG-1, will test the operational capabilities and flight systems of the Blue Ring Pathfinder transport module. A successful launch will bring Blue Origin one step closer to obtaining the necessary certifications to undertake National Security missions for the US government.
Key Features of the New Glenn Rocket
The New Glenn rocket stands at an impressive height of over 98 meters and has a diameter of seven meters. It consists of several components, including a booster rocket and a charging module. The booster rocket is equipped with seven BE-4 engines from Blue Origin, which are powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The charging module, designed to transport technology, will be powered by two BE-3U engines, liquid oxygen, and liquid hydrogen.
Jarrett Jones, senior vice president of New Glenn, has expressed confidence in the team’s preparation for the launch, stating that they have “rigorously prepared” for this mission. However, he also acknowledges that “no ground test or mission simulations can replace the flight of this rocket.” The success of this launch will be a crucial step forward for Blue Origin in its pursuit of competing with SpaceX.
SpaceX’s Starship Test Launch
SpaceX is scheduled to conduct the seventh test launch of its Starship rocket on Saturday, March 11th, at 11:00 PM peninsular time. This launch will mark the first time SpaceX attempts to deploy payloads, using 10 Starlink simulators that will follow a suborbital trajectory. NASA has commissioned both Blue Origin and SpaceX to develop cargo and crew landing modules for future missions of the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Earth’s satellite.