Blue Origin hot fires New Glenn rocket for first time and scores FAA license for test launch

[Admin]

Blue Origin fired up its new heavy-lift orbital rocket for the first time just hours after receiving federal clearance to conduct its maiden launch.

Blue Origin hot fires New Glenn rocket for first time and scores FAA license for test launch : Read more

 

[Dave Michelson]

Blue Origin has been working towards this important milestone for a very long time. Congratulations to the entire team on reaching this point, and best wishes for a very successful debut launch!

 

[Unclear Engineer]

There is a lot of hype and argument about whether the initial launch will occur before the end of the year. But, that is just not important. December 31st of 2024 is not much different from January 31st of 2025, in the larger scheme of the development project.

The important thing is how successful Blue Origin will be in its first mission. It seems to include landing the first stage on a barge at sea. And, of course all of the engines and stages need to work as designed.

The big issue is the comparison of the "slow and sure" development process to the competing "try early, fail fast and learn fast" approach that SpaceX has been demonstrating successfully.

If New Glen meets all of its design parameters on its first launch, then it will show Blue Origin to be a serious competitor in the launch business. But, if there is more than a minor glitch, it will not seem to be a serious competitor for at least a substantial time into the future.

All that said, I am rooting for a compete success.