Blue Origin is targeting New Glenn’s inaugural mission (NG-1) for no earlier than Friday, January 10, from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, the company announced on Monday.
The three-hour launch window opens at 1 a.m. ET on Friday (10 p.m. PT on Thursday night).
🚀 Launch Alert | We’re targeting New Glenn’s first launch no earlier than January 10 from LC-36. Read more: https://t.co/sqiw0t6qhp pic.twitter.com/B9ex8heWSc
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 7, 2025
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The NG-1 mission will carry the Blue Ring Pathfinder payload, which will test Blue Ring’s core flight, ground systems, and operational capabilities as part of the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Orbital Logistics prototype effort. The payload includes a communications array, power system, and flight computer, which will be evaluated during the six-hour mission while attached to the New Glenn rocket’s second stage.
Blue Origin said that its key objective for the upcoming mission is to “reach orbit safely.”
Similar to how SpaceX brings home the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket, Blue Origin will also attempt to land New Glenn’s first stage on a platform floating off the coast of Florida, an effort it described as “ambitious.”
Jarrett Jones, SVP of New Glenn, said: “This is our first flight and we’ve prepared rigorously for it. But no amount of ground testing or mission simulations are a replacement for flying this rocket. It’s time to fly. No matter what happens, we’ll learn, refine, and apply that knowledge to our next launch.”