Blue Origin's New Glenn: A Second Chance, But What's the Real Trajectory?
Blue Origin is gearing up for the second launch of its New Glenn rocket, slated for Sunday, November 9th, from Cape Canaveral. This isn't just another rocket launch; it's a critical test for Jeff Bezos' space venture, especially after the booster failed to land correctly during the maiden voyage back in January. The mission? To propel NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft towards Mars. The launch window is open from 2:45 to 5:11 p.m. ET.
Mars Mission: A High-Stakes Second Act
The primary objective is NASA's ESCAPADE mission—two probes, Blue and Gold (a nod to UC-Berkeley's colors, the university operating the mission for NASA), heading to Mars to study its atmosphere. This $80 million venture aims to understand how Mars lost its atmosphere, a key question for future human settlements. But this isn't just about Mars; New Glenn is also carrying technology from Viasat, potentially for use in low-Earth orbit NASA missions.
The journey is complex. The ESCAPADE probes will first hang out at the Earth-sun Lagrange Point 2 (L2) for a year, studying space weather. Then, in late 2026, they'll use Earth's gravity for a boost towards Mars, arriving about ten months later. Once there, they'll spend seven months adjusting their orbits before starting an 11-month data-gathering phase. This elaborate choreography is necessary because Earth and Mars align for efficient travel only every 26 months.
The first launch in January, while technically reaching orbit, wasn't a complete success. The upper stage worked, but the booster didn't land on the drone ship as planned—a rather significant "oops." This second attempt is crucial. Landing the booster is vital for reusability, a cornerstone of Blue Origin's long-term business model. The drone ship, named Jacklyn, will be stationed several hundred miles offshore in the Atlantic, awaiting the booster's return.
Blue Origin invested $1 billion to rebuild Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base. That's a hefty sum. The question is, will this investment pay off?
Reusability: The Billion-Dollar Question
New Glenn is designed to carry about 50 tons (45 metric tons, to be precise) to low Earth orbit. Blue Origin envisions it shuttling Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites and handling other commercial and NASA missions. But capacity means little if the rocket isn't reusable, or reliably reusable.
The loss of the booster on the first flight raises serious questions about the reliability of their landing system. Was it a software glitch? A hardware malfunction? Details on the failure remain scarce. And this is the part of the report that I find genuinely puzzling—the lack of transparency around the first landing failure. It's not just about bragging rights; it's about demonstrating consistent performance to potential customers. What were the specific factors that led to the failed landing?
Blue Origin is providing a live webcast of the launch, and likely updates on X (formerly Twitter). The PR machine is in full swing, but let's not mistake hype for progress. The real test is whether they can stick the landing this time. If they fail again, it's not just a setback for Blue Origin; it's a blow to the entire commercial space industry.
[Source Title]: Watch Blue Origin's huge New Glenn rocket launch NASA Mars mission on Nov. 9
