Rocket manufacturing companies Blue Origin and SpaceX both attempted important launch missions on Thursday and witnessed their respective billionaire founders develop a cordial relationship despite the rising rivalry between the companies.
Musk Congratulates: Blue Origin‘s New Glenn launch vehicle reached space and its intended orbit during its inaugural launch on Thursday.
The vehicle launched at around 2 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida upon igniting all seven engines. Though its second stage reached orbit safely, its reusable first-stage booster was lost during its descent through the atmosphere. The company had intended to land the booster on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean after separation from the second stage.
"Congratulations on reaching orbit on the first attempt!," Musk wrote in a post on social media platform X to Blue Origin after launch.
Bezos Returns Wishes: SpaceX was gearing up to launch its ambitious Starship launch vehicle for the first time this year on Thursday evening.
“Good luck today Elon Musk and the whole spacex team!!,” Bezos then wished in a post on X.
Starship lifted off from Starbase in Texas at 4:37 p.m. CT and the vehicle booster landed back at the launch site after separation from its first stage. The spacecraft, however, disintegrated in space during the flight test. The spacecraft was carrying 10 Starlink simulators which are similar in size and weight to the company’s next-generation Starlink satellites as payload.
The company is now attempting to determine the root cause of the explosion and implement corrective measures.
“Kudos to you and the whole SpaceX team on the flawless booster catch! Very impressive,” Bezos wrote to Musk after the flight test.
Rising Competition: The launch on Thursday marked Blue Origin's first attempt to orbit since its inception about 25 years ago. The company's New Shepard rocket could only go up to the edge of space.
With its first launch of Blue Glenn, Blue Origin affirmed its position as a competitor to SpaceX in the satellite launch business. The New Glenn can now compete with SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket for missions to orbit.
Bezos and Musk have previously mocked and also applauded each other for their different qualities and endeavors.
"Elon has been very clear that he's doing this for the public interest and not for his personal gain. And I take him at face value," Bezos told a media platform earlier this week, expressing optimism that Musk would not use his newfound camaraderie with President-elect Donald Trump to harm Blue Origin.
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