Blue Origin Prepares for Historic New Glenn Launch Aiming to Reuse Rocket Booster

Blue Origin is gearing up for a significant milestone as it prepares to launch its New Glenn rocket early Sunday morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This upcoming flight, slated for 6:45 AM EDT (10:45 UTC), will mark the company’s third mission and its first endeavor to reuse the New Glenn’s first stage booster, known as Never Tell Me The Odds. This booster previously supported the NASA ESCAPADE mission to Mars in November.

The New Glenn 3 mission will carry the BlueBird Block 2 FM2 satellite, also referred to as BlueBird 7, into low-Earth orbit (LEO). This satellite is part of AST SpaceMobile’s ambitious plan to provide 4G and 5G cellular broadband services directly to standard smartphones, thereby aiming to bridge connectivity gaps in underserved areas.

AST SpaceMobile, which launched its first satellite in 2019, is a pioneer in the space-based cellular internet sector. BlueBird 7 is a second-generation satellite designed to enhance the existing SpaceMobile constellation, boasting features that enable significantly greater cellular bandwidth than earlier models. The satellite’s deployment is a key step toward achieving comprehensive mobile coverage across the United States and is expected to deliver data speeds of up to 120 Mbps.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, named after the legendary astronaut John Glenn, is designed for heavy payloads and has undergone extensive development since its inception in 2012. This mission not only showcases the rocket’s capabilities but also positions Blue Origin as a contender in the competitive landscape of reusable rocket technology, a domain currently dominated by SpaceX.

Never Tell Me The Odds, the booster for this mission, stands at an impressive 57.5 meters and is powered by seven BE-4 engines. It’s engineered for reuse, featuring landing legs that unfold before touchdown. Following its launch, the booster will execute a series of maneuvers to ensure a vertical landing on Blue Origin’s landing platform, named Jacklyn, in the Atlantic Ocean.

On mission day, a countdown process will begin four and a half hours prior to launch, with propellant loading followed by a series of checks and adjustments. Weather forecasts for the launch are favorable, with only a minimal chance of adverse conditions. If all goes smoothly, this mission could pave the way for more extensive reuse of rocket technology within the industry.

As Blue Origin looks to secure its place in the commercial space launch market, the successful reuse of a booster on this mission would further propel its ambition and prove the viability of sustainable space exploration.