Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin gets clearance to launch New Glenn rocket

This license allows Blue Origin to conduct orbital missions from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida over the next five years.

In Short

• The FAA's approval marks Blue Origin's entry into a highly competitive arena
• It will compete for national security space missions
• The company joins industry heavyweights SpaceX and the Boeing-Lockheed Martin

In a significant advancement for the aerospace industry, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos, a commercial space launch license for its New Glenn rocket.

This license allows Blue Origin to conduct orbital missions from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida over the next five years.

The FAA's approval marks Blue Origin's entry into a highly competitive arena for national security space missions. The company joins industry heavyweights SpaceX and the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA) in vying for contracts under a $5.6 billion Pentagon program aimed at launching national security satellites.

This selection process by the U.S. Department of Defense, which began in June, underscores the growing importance of private companies in supporting government space initiatives.

The inaugural flight of New Glenn will serve as a certification mission required by the U.S. Space Force before Blue Origin can begin launching national security payloads.

Initially intended to carry two NASA spacecraft to Mars, this mission was delayed due to development challenges, leading NASA to reassign the payload to another rocket.

Instead, New Glenn will now launch technology related to Blue Origin's Blue Ring program, which focuses on providing maneuverable spacecraft for Pentagon use.

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is designed with a reusable first stage that will land on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean after launch, similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9. The rocket stands over 320 feet tall and is equipped with seven BE-4 engines, which are among the most powerful liquid-fueled engines developed to date.

As Blue Origin prepares for its first launch, it aims to demonstrate its capabilities and establish itself as a formidable competitor in the burgeoning commercial space sector.

This milestone not only highlights Blue Origin's progress but also reflects the broader trend of increasing collaboration between private companies and government agencies in space exploration.