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Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket connected Thursday with NASA duplicate spacecraft destined for Mars aboard, and successful a breakthrough, nailed the landing of its booster.
The motorboat was stalled for days implicit upwind some connected Earth and successful space, but it was worthy the wait: successful the rocket's second-ever flight, Blue Origin managed to retrieve the booster for reuse.
Ecstatic cheers rang retired astatine the motorboat tract successful Florida's Cape Canaveral arsenic the booster gracefully stuck its landing connected a floating platform. Prior to Thursday, lone Elon Musk's SpaceX had managed to execute specified a maneuver with an orbital-class rocket.
Related: Blue Origin Launches Giant New Glenn Rocket, Hits Orbit connected First Attempt
Blue Origin's accomplishment comes amid intensified rivalry betwixt the 2 billionaire-owned backstage abstraction companies, arsenic the US abstraction bureau NASA precocious opened up bids for its planned Moon mission.
"Damn that was exciting!" said Jared Isaacman – a Musk state who President Donald Trump precocious nominated again to caput NASA – connected X, congratulating Blue Origin.
A fistful of figures astatine SpaceX besides had praise for their rivals, including Musk himself: "Congratulations @JeffBezos and the @BlueOrigin team!" he said connected X.
Congratulations @JeffBezos and the@BlueOrigin team! https://t.co/chDyNYNag3
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2025The motorboat was repeatedly delayed, connected Sunday implicit upwind connected Earth, and connected Wednesday implicit upwind successful space.
The 2nd postponement was implicit "highly elevated star activity" that NASA was disquieted could interaction oregon harm its spacecraft.
And aggregate glitches meant delays yet again connected Thursday – hold-ups Blue Origin did not explain. But astatine 3:55 p.m. (2055 GMT), New Glenn yet blasted off.
The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket present has the task of sending NASA's ESCAPADE duplicate spacecraft to Mars, successful a bid to survey the Red Planet's clime past with the eventual anticipation of quality exploration.
The 98-meter New Glenn rocket connected the launchpad. (Blue Origin)Applause resounded erstwhile much arsenic the spacecraft successfully deployed.
Joseph Westlake, a NASA heliophysicist, explained during Thursday's webcast however the duplicate spacecraft named "Blue" and "Gold" volition archetypal find a "benign, harmless parking orbit" to marque "measurements astir the abstraction upwind present connected Earth."
Then, erstwhile the planets person reached the perfect alignment successful the autumn of 2026, the spacecraft volition get a boost from Earth's gravity and statesman the journey to Mars, wherever they volition get successful 2027.
This benignant of motorboat could let for much predominant missions successful the future, due to the fact that they could proceed extracurricular the model of nonstop alignment of Earth and Mars that happens astir erstwhile each 2 years.
'Launch, land, repeat'
New Glenn's inaugural flight successful January was besides marked a success, arsenic its payload achieved orbit and successfully performed tests.
But its first-stage booster, which was meant to beryllium reusable, was mislaid during descent.
Thursday's accomplishment signals that Blue Origin is connected its mode to reducing costs by reusing boosters alternatively than allowing them to plummet into the ocean.
"Launch, land, repetition – it starts today," said Eddie Seyffert, among Blue Origin's webcast commentators.
New Glenn's motorboat and booster landing. (Blue Origin)And it comes arsenic US President Donald Trump's 2nd word successful the White House has seen the medication heap unit connected NASA to accelerate its advancement to nonstop a crewed ngo to the Moon amid a contention with China.
George Nield – a elder aerospace enforcement whose enactment promotes the commercialized abstraction industry, and who has flown with Blue Origin successful the past – told AFP this motorboat would beryllium an "indicator" of the company's progress.
It could amusement "whether they tin play accrued roles successful near-term lunar exploration," helium said.
