Blue Origin’s new Glenn rocket reached an important milestone this weekcompleting its first second stage hot fire test validating interactions between subsystems, its two BE-3U engines and ground control systems. The test lasted 15 seconds and allowed the launch operations team to practice launch procedures in the run-up to New Glenn’s planned launch in November.
New Glenn is Blue Origin’s answer to SpaceX when it comes to launching objects into space, but Jeff Bezos’ company has been slow to move and has so far only flown tourist flights into suborbital space using its New Shepard rocket. New Glenn was supposed to launch the small ESCAPADE satellite together with NASA this year as its first mission, but it was Recently cancelled.
Now, New Glenn’s (NG-1) first mission will be to carry the company’s new Blue Ring orbital platform into space. Blue Origin plans to launch that mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, this November.