Blue Origin‘s New Glenn heavy-lift rocket is ready for its first flight. The company has conducted – and successfully completed – a dress rehearsal, or a full rehearsal of the rocket’s launch countdown. According to The New York Times, Blue Origin had to try to start the countdown several times over the course of several hours, but eventually the company managed to ignite and fire the seven New Glenn engines within 24 seconds.
New Glenn’s tanks were filled with fuel, and a 45,000-pound payload simulator was installed on the rocket, as if it were really headed for space. Blue Origin says this is the first time it has operated a rocket as an integrated system, and New Glenn Senior Vice President Jarrett Jones called the completion of the test a “monumental milestone.” The US Federal Aviation Administration has also granted the company a license to launch the New Glenn, meaning that it is now truly ready for launch.
The company describes the New Glenn as “a giant reusable rocket built for big things.” It also says it is “designed with the safety and redundancy required for human flight,” although its first flight will be without a crew. Its first flight was supposed to take place in October with two NASA satellites headed for Mars, but it had to be canceled because the rocket was not ready at the time. Now, the new Glenn will fly for the first time with the company’s Blue Ring Pathfinder, part of its Blue Ring platform that will offer spacecraft services to customers such as the Pentagon. Although Blue Origin has not announced a new launch date for the rocket, it is expected to be the company’s first flight in 2025 and could take place as early as January 6.
