SpaceAfter delays and false starts, Jeff Bezos's firm Blue Origin has reached orbit with its first launch of the New Glenn rocket, though attempts to land the first stage at sea were unsuccessful 16 January 2025 New Glenn blasts offBlue OriginBlue Origins reusable New Glenn rocket has successfully launched and reached orbit, though engineers failed to safely land the first-stage rocket booster back on Earth as hoped. Even so, the companys first launch to orbit is a sign that Jeff Bezoss space company is capable of challenging the current dominance of Elon Musks SpaceX in the private space launch business.Im incredibly proud New Glenn achieved orbit on its first attempt, said Dave Limp, CEO of Blue Origin, in a statement. AdvertisementNew Glenn, which is around the height of a 30-storey building, blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at around 2am local time (7am GMT). The rocket had seen numerous delays and setbacks, and a previous launch was abandoned when unwanted ice formed in some of the rocket engine pipes.Around 13 minutes after liftoff, the rockets second stage reached orbit, which has been a goal for Blue Origin since the company was founded more than 20 years ago. It carried a test payload called Blue Ring Pathfinder, which is a collection of communications devices, power systems and a flight computer.Another goal for this mission was landing its rocket booster on a floating landing platform in the Atlantic Ocean so it could be reused for future missions, lowering overall costs. However, engineers stopped receiving data from the booster shortly after liftoff. We knew landing our booster on the first try was an ambitious goal. Well learn a lot from today and try again at our next launch this spring, said Limp. Voyage across the galaxy and beyond with our space newsletter every month.Sign up to newsletterTopics:Rockets