Blue Origin’s NASA Launch to Mars Is a Shot across the Bow for Elon Musk’s SpaceX

NASA's Blue Origin Mars Launch Is a Shot Over the Bow for SpaceX

TO Claire Cameron edited by Lee Billings

Blue Origin successfully launched — and partially landed — the company's New Glenn rocket Thursday, a major step forward in its bid to compete with SpaceX as a reliable supplier of reusable rockets to NASA and other government agencies.

The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 3:55 pm EST, loaded with NASA's ESCAPADE mission to study how space weather affects Mars. Ironically, space weather also caused the mission's latest delays. strong solar storm On Wednesday, conditions in Earth orbit became too risky to attempt a planned launch. The rocket's reusable first stage, dubbed “Never Tell Me the Odds,” landed again minutes later on Blue Origin's unmanned craft, a first for the company.

The New Glenn flight was a test for Blue Origin, which has long sought to compete with the fully reusable SpaceX rockets that dominate the global launch market. During New Glenn first flight in January of this year, the company failed to land the first stage of its ocean barge. With today's successful landing, Blue Origin has a much better chance of winning lucrative launch contracts, including those recently re-offered for NASA's upcoming lunar missions that were originally awarded to SpaceX.

About supporting science journalism

If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting our award-winning journalism. subscription. By purchasing a subscription, you help ensure a future of influential stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Elon Musk's rocket company is behind on development of its Starship mega-rocket, which NASA hoped to use to carry astronauts to lunar orbit and back to the lunar surface. Artemis III The mission is scheduled for 2027. However, in October, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said the agency would reopen competition for a crewed lander, creating a potential opportunity for Blue Origin and other aerospace firms.

Days before Thursday's launch, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said the company “would move heaven and earth” to help NASA achieve its goal of returning humans to the Moon as quickly as possible.

It's time to stand up for science

If you liked this article, I would like to ask for your support. Scientific American has been a champion of science and industry for 180 years, and now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I was Scientific American I have been a subscriber since I was 12, and it has helped shape my view of the world. science always educates and delights me, instills a sense of awe in front of our vast and beautiful universe. I hope it does the same for you.

If you subscribe to Scientific Americanyou help ensure our coverage focuses on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on decisions that threaten laboratories across the US; and that we support both aspiring and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return you receive important news, fascinating podcastsbrilliant infographics, newsletters you can't missvideos worth watching challenging gamesand the world's best scientific articles and reporting. You can even give someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you will support us in this mission.