Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Prepares for Maiden Launch

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has been positioned on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, in preparation for its inaugural flight, potentially occurring in late 2024. The rocket, which features a fully reusable first-stage booster, will carry the Blue Ring spacecraft on a National Security Space Launch certification mission called DarkSky-1. The New Glenn rocket comes in two- or three-stage variants and is designed to support various mission needs. The launch was initially planned for October 2024 with NASA's ESCAPADE Mars probes, but was postponed due to cost concerns.