Blue Origin, a space company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is set to launch its reusable New Glenn rocket for the first time on January 10. If successful, the rocket could become a rival to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, which has become the go-to launch vehicle for companies looking to put large payloads into orbit.
New Glenn is designed to deliver payloads of up to 45 tonnes to low Earth orbit and stands at 98 meters tall, similar in height to a 30-storey building. The rocket has two stages: one reusable stage that can land on a sea platform and another disposable upper stage where cargo and mission payloads can be stored.
The test flight, called NG-1, aims to reach orbit while also testing Blue Origin’s Blue Ring Pathfinder, a collection of communications devices and power systems that will help guide and manoeuvre future payloads in orbit. The company is aiming to mimic SpaceX’s rapid testing schedule, learning from each test and refining its knowledge for the next launch.
Blue Origin has previously focused on space tourism with its New Shepard rocket, which launched Jeff Bezos and three other passengers to an altitude of 107 kilometers in 2021. It has also launched eight more crews to a similar altitude since then. The company hopes to use New Glenn to launch satellites as part of Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a planned satellite internet constellation, and deliver parts for its own space station development.
Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2463147-new-glenn-launch-blue-origins-reusable-rocket-set-for-maiden-flight