New YORK: The New Glenn rocket from Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on its inaugural flight in the early hours of Thursday.
Despite the first-stage booster later missing its landing site on a barge in the Atlantic, the launch was considered a success. "I’m incredibly proud New Glenn achieved orbit on its first attempt,” said Blue Origin chief executive Dave Limp in a statement.
The 98-metre tall rocket, named after John Glenn, the first US astronaut to orbit Earth, is a two-stage rocket.
The stages are mounted one above the other and are then ignited one after the other as the rocket traverses the atmosphere.
After stage separation, the first, lower stage of the New Glenn is designed to return and land upright in order for it to be reused for a minimum of 25 flights. (DPA)