Science & technology | Lift-off at last?Can Jeff Bezos match Elon Musk in space?After 25 years, Blue Origin finally heads to orbit, and hopesto become a contender in the private space racePhotograph: Blue Origin Jan 1st 2025IT HAS BEEN a long time coming. Assuming there are no last-minute delays, then in the next few days Blue Origin, a firm run by Jeff Bezos, Amazons founder, will make the first launch of its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida. If everything goes smoothly, then almost a quarter of a century after it was founded, Blue Origin will reach orbit for the first timeand the private space industry may have another contender.Explore moreThis article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline Bolt from the blueFrom the January 4th 2025 editionDiscover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the editionReuse this content