Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has entered the history books as the first company to successfully reach orbit on their first launch with a new orbital-class rocket in the commercial spaceflight era. The New Glenn rocket, which stood tall like a 32-story building, roared to life at 2:03 a.m. EST and lifted off the pad under the power of 3.9 million pounds of thrust.
The mission aimed to test various systems, including the landing of the first stage booster, but ultimately, the touchdown on the landing vessel ‘Jacklyn’ was unsuccessful. However, Blue Origin’s primary goal was to reach orbit with its second stage and gather data about the rocket and launch flow.
After overcoming several technical issues, including an unplanned hold due to engine cooling and a wayward boat entering the prohibited zone, the New Glenn rocket successfully reached its target, a highly elliptical orbit in medium Earth orbit. The Blue Ring, an orbital space tug, powered on roughly 14 minutes into the flight and confirmed that the second burn was successful.
The mission marked a significant milestone for Blue Origin, earning accolades from the space community, including congratulations from SpaceX founder Elon Musk and Astra CEO Chris Kemp. Following this success, Blue Origin plans to return to a steady workflow to complete work on its second New Glenn rocket, aiming to achieve even more with their next launch.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/01/15/live-coverage-blue-origin-to-launch-blue-ring-pathfinder-on-new-glenn-rocket-inaugural-launch-from-cape-canaveral