Maiden Flight for New Glenn [Live: 14.01.24; 06:00 UTC]

EDIT 1: 07.01.25 - launch licence granted (announcement)

EDIT 2: launch date moved January 12th because of high sea state. (Source)

EDIT 3: launch date moved to January 13th because of sea state. (Source)

EDIT 4: new launch date after scrub. (Source)

The maiden flight of New Glenn marks an important moment in space exploration, showcasing two fundamentally different approaches to rocket development. Let’s dive into the contrasting methodologies of Blue Origin and SpaceX:

Blue Origin: Intricate Planning, Long Development

Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos on September 8, 2000. It has taken the company 24 years to reach the milestone of New Glenn's maiden flight. From the beginning, Blue Origin aimed for ambitious, groundbreaking achievements, tackling some of the most complex challenges in rocketry:

Developing methane-fueled engines (BE-4 engines).
Designing a giant reusable rocket.
Perfecting the vertical landing of boosters.

However, Blue Origin’s approach emphasized meticulous planning and minimal experimentation, opting for a deliberate, methodical path to solve these problems all at once. While visionary, this strategy required a much longer development timeline.

SpaceX: Iterative Development, Rapid Progress

In contrast, SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk on March 14, 2002, took an incremental approach to innovation. The company embraced frequent failures as part of its strategy for fast iteration and learning, leveraging tried-and-true technologies with innovative updates:

Using RP-1/LOX engines (Merlin engines) for reliability and manufacturability.
Rapidly iterating through design cycles and testing extensively.

SpaceX’s iterative strategy led to remarkably fast progress:

2008: First successful Falcon 1 launch.
2010: First Falcon 9 launch.
2015: First booster stage landing.
By 2025, Falcon 9 has flown over 400 times.

This approach has allowed SpaceX to dominate the commercial launch market, continually refining its rockets to improve reliability and efficiency.

New Glenn: Ambitions for a Giant Leap

New Glenn is a highly ambitious rocket designed to achieve several milestones on its very first flight:

Successfully launch and reach orbit.
Land the booster stage on a barge in the ocean.
Deliver payloads to orbit with competitive performance and cost.

Comparing Rockets: New Glenn vs. Competitors

The table below highlights how New Glenn stacks up against other prominent rockets in the industry:

Rocket	New Glenn	Falcon Heavy	Ariane 6	Vulcan Centaur	Long March 5
Height [m]	98	70	63	61.6 – 67.3	57 – 63.2
Diameter [m]	7	3.7	5.4	5.4	5
Cost per Launch [$m]	68	97	70 – 115	110	70
Payload to LEO [kg]	45,000	50,000 – 63,800	10,350 – 21,650	27,200	25,000
Payload to GEO [kg]	13,600	26,700	5,000	7,000	5,100