Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Gets License From FAA For New Glenn's Maiden Launch As It Takes On Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon

On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorized the first launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn vehicle after determining that the Jeff Bezos-owned company met all safety, environmental, and other licensing requirements. 

What Happened: The commercial space launch license, valid for five years, allows Blue Origin to conduct orbital missions from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida with the New Glenn. The first stage of the rocket will have to land on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean.

"By working closely with Blue Origin, the FAA issued this new launch license well in advance of the statutory deadline for the historic maiden flight of New Glenn," said the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Kelvin B. Coleman.

Why It Matters: New Glenn is a reusable heavy-lift rocket named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth. The development of the vehicle, expected to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon launch vehicle, has been delayed for years.

New Glenn, unlike Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle, can reach the Earth’s orbit and beyond. New Shepard, meanwhile, can only reach the edge of space.

“A big thanks to the FAA for the partnership, especially over the holidays…we are really close, folks,” Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp wrote on social media platform X upon receiving the launch license.

The company also conducted a hotfire test of the integrated launch vehicle on Friday, marking the final major milestone ahead of its first flight.

New Glenn’s first launch will mark the rocket's first National Security Space Launch certification flight. It will carry the company's Blue Ring Pathfinder – developed by Blue Origin's In-Space Systems business unit – as a payload.

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Photo courtesy: Blue Origin