Blue Origin reveals mighty 320-Foot New Glenn Rocket as it prepares for NASA’s Mars mission

Blue Origin Rolls Out New Glenn Rocket for Mars Mission With NASA Probes (Image: Blue Origin)

Blue Origin is moving closer to another milestone as its second New Glenn rocket heads for launch. On Wednesday, Jeff Bezos’ company rolled out the rocket’s first stage to the launchpad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, marking an important step toward its next flight.

What is the mission about?
The upcoming launch, expected later this month or in November, will carry NASA’s twin ESCAPADE probes to Mars. These spacecraft, known as Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, will study how the Martian atmosphere interacts with solar wind and space weather. Each probe, named Blue and Gold, was built by Rocket Lab in California and reached Florida’s Space Coast on 22 September.

New Glenn, when fully stacked, stands 320 feet tall and features a reusable first stage similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. The vehicle first launched in January, successfully reaching orbit but failing to land its booster on a drone ship at sea.

Why is this launch significant?
This second mission is an operational flight, unlike its debut test mission. If successful, it will mark a new step for Blue Origin’s heavy-lift rocket programme, which aims to compete in the commercial and interplanetary launch market. The rocket will carry the NASA payload beyond Earth orbit for the first time, showcasing its capability for deep-space missions.

What else did Blue Origin achieve this week?
The rollout of New Glenn came on the same day Blue Origin achieved another feat. Earlier Wednesday morning, the company launched six passengers to suborbital space aboard its New Shepard vehicle from West Texas. The flight marked the 15th crewed mission and the 36th overall launch of the New Shepard system.

With two major operations in a single day, Blue Origin appears to be accelerating its momentum in both human spaceflight and planetary exploration. The company’s next test—sending ESCAPADE toward Mars—will be closely watched by both NASA and the global space community.