On Thursday, Blue Origin's New Glenn launch and landing marked a turning point for Jeff Bezos' space ambitions — and also drew a warm nod from his biggest space rival, Elon Musk.
New Glenn Lands Smoothly In One Of Blue Origin's Most Crucial Missions Yet
Blue Origin successfully launched and landed its massive New Glenn rocket as it tries to close the gap with SpaceX.
The 320-foot-tall rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station shortly before 4 p.m. ET, reported the Washington Post.
After separating from the upper stage, the first-stage booster — nicknamed "Never Tell Me the Odds" — reentered Earth's atmosphere and reignited its engines to slow down.
It touched down on a drone ship named "Jacklyn," honoring Bezos's late mother, drawing cheers from Blue Origin staff watching the landing feed.
The mission later deployed two NASA satellites headed for Mars as part of the agency's Escapade mission, which will study how the planet's magnetic fields shift over time.
A Major Step Forward In Bezos And Musk's Space Race
The mission marks New Glenn's second launch and its first successful booster recovery.
The rocket reached orbit during its debut flight in January but failed to land the booster at sea.
Analysts told the publication that Thursday's flawless landing helps boost confidence in the rocket's future.
SpaceX, meanwhile, continues frequent flights of its Falcon 9 but is still working toward full reliability with its next-generation Starship system, which has completed 11 test flights with mixed outcomes.
Musk Congratulates Bezos As Competition Heats Up
Following the landing, Musk posted multiple brief messages on X, formerly Twitter. In one of them, he wrote, "Congratulations @JeffBezos and the @BlueOrigin team!"
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