Blue Origin’s highly anticipated New Glenn rocket has taken an important step toward its inaugural flight with the combination of its first and second stages. The rocket, designed for heavy-lift missions, was recently stored at Blue Origin’s facility near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The stages, named “GS-1” and “GS-2”, were assembled for the first time, marking a milestone as the company prepares to launch the rocket for the first time, possibly in November 2024, from the Cape Canaveral Space Force. From the station.
Advanced design for heavy-duty capabilities
The company revealed this news on its official X handle. Standing at 270 feet tall in its two-stage form, New Glenn is a major addition to the current heavy-lift rocket lineup. Unlike conventional expendable rockets, its first stage booster is fully reusable, which promises to reduce launch costs and increase launch frequency. If a three-stage configuration is used, the rocket’s height will increase to 313 feet. For reference, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 varies between 209 and 230 feet depending on configuration.
Blue Ring Spacecraft and National Security Mission
The upcoming mission, known as DarkSky-1, will carry Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft platform. This flight is part of the certification test under the National Security Space Launch Program sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit. The Blue Ring platform, designed to serve as a flexible service module for satellites, can be deployed in orbit or kept attached for extended missions. The company has promoted Blue Ring’s advanced capabilities in maneuvering in different orbits, attracting both commercial and government customers.
Next steps and test firing
As Blue Origin moves forward with development of New Glenn, a static fire test of the rocket’s BE-4 engines will be conducted, with seven first stage engines being ignited for initial testing. Originally scheduled for October, the launch was delayed after NASA decided to stand down to avoid potential cost overruns, plans to launch the twin ESCAPADE Mars probes have now been postponed to 2025.
