Overview
- Blue Origin launched New Glenn on Nov. 13 Eastern Time, marking the vehicle’s second flight and first booster recovery.
- The first stage touched down on a shipboard platform in the Atlantic after stage separation as planned.
- New Glenn’s second stage carried NASA’s ESCAPADE Mars probe, which continued toward its target orbit after separation.
- The countdown followed multiple postponements, including a Nov. 10 weather scrub under cumulus rules and a pause due to elevated solar activity across North America.
- January’s maiden flight reached orbit with the upper stage but lost the booster during return, a shortfall the latest mission addressed, drawing public congratulations from SpaceX founder Elon Musk.