Space Coast Cheers Blue Origin’s Historic New Glenn Landing
The Space Coast erupted in celebration this past Thursday as Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket on its NG-2 mission, achieving a monumental first-stage booster landing. This pivotal event, witnessed by hundreds on local beaches and by millions online, firmly places Jeff Bezos’ company alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the elite club of orbital reusable rocket providers. It marks a significant step forward for commercial space travel and scientific exploration right from our backyard.
A Roaring Success on the Space Coast
On Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 3:55 p.m., the second-ever launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket took off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36, climbing into clear, blue skies. Crowds gathered at Cherie Down Park and other local spots cheered as the massive rocket rumbled overhead. The true nail-biter, however, unfolded 375 miles out in the Atlantic, where the first-stage booster, aptly named “Never Tell Me The Odds,” attempted its landing on the recovery vessel Jacklyn.
Unlike its predecessor on the NG-1 mission, this booster executed a flawless touchdown. The moment the smoke cleared, revealing the booster standing tall, shouts of joy erupted from the huddled spectators watching on their smartphones. Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos himself was seen stoically smiling amidst his celebrating employees at mission control, a testament to the magnitude of this achievement. This successful landing confirms Blue Origin’s capability to recover and reuse its orbital launch boosters, a game-changer for reducing costs and increasing launch cadence.
Mission to Mars: Unlocking the Red Planet’s Secrets
Beyond the impressive landing, the NG-2 mission carried a critical payload: NASA’s ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) twin satellites, dubbed “Blue” and “Gold.” Built by Rocket Lab for NASA and the University of California Berkeley, these Mars-bound spacecraft are trailblazers for streamlined, top-level science.
The $75 million mission, with $20 million paid to Blue Origin for the ride, aims to deepen our understanding of Mars’ atmosphere. Principal investigator Robert Lillis emphasized that ESCAPADE will observe plasma and magnetic fields around the planet to help explain why Mars’ atmosphere is so thin and how its climate evolved over billions of years. Though they’re currently in a “parking spot” at Lagrange Point 2, awaiting optimal alignment, they will reach Mars and begin their scientific observations by 2028 at the earliest.
The Future is Reusable: Blue Origin’s Ambitious Plans
The NG-2 mission’s success paves the way for Blue Origin’s ambitious future plans, including the reuse of these powerful boosters up to 25 times. This reusability is central to the company’s vision for making space access more routine and affordable. The New Glenn rockets themselves are manufactured right here on Merritt Island, providing a direct local connection to these monumental space endeavors.
Looking ahead, Blue Origin has a “very full manifest,” including the uncrewed Blue Moon Mark 1 lunar lander, a precursor to the Mark 2 lander contracted by NASA for future Artemis missions. Additionally, New Glenn will play a crucial role in launching hundreds of satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, now renamed Amazon Leo, further solidifying the Space Coast’s role as a global launch hub.
Key Achievements: Blue Origin vs. SpaceX
| Company | Rocket | First Successful Orbital Booster Landing |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | Falcon 9 | December 2015 |
| Blue Origin | New Glenn (NG-2) | November 2025 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the New Glenn rocket?
New Glenn is Blue Origin’s heavy-lift orbital rocket, designed to launch large payloads into space. It features a reusable first stage, similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. - Why is a booster landing so important?
Successfully landing and reusing rocket boosters significantly reduces the cost of space launches and the environmental impact, making space access more sustainable and frequent. - What was the purpose of the NG-2 mission’s payload?
The mission carried NASA’s ESCAPADE satellites, designed to study Mars’ magnetosphere and upper atmosphere to understand how the planet lost its dense atmosphere over time. - How does this impact the Space Coast?
With New Glenn rockets manufactured on Merritt Island and launched from Cape Canaveral, this success reinforces the Space Coast’s position as a leader in global space exploration and brings economic benefits and excitement to the local community.
As the Space Coast continues to lead the way in orbital launches and booster landings, residents can look forward to more frequent and awe-inspiring spectacles from companies like Blue Origin, shaping the future of space from our very own backyard.
Blue Origin New Glenn Historic Reusable Rocket Landing
