On Thursday, November 13, the "New Glenn" rocket from Blue Origin successfully reached low Earth orbit with two EscaPade probes, which are now heading to Mars. The mission, carried out by NASA, aims to study the near-planetary space and climate of the Red Planet, as reported by international news agencies.
The launch of the heavy rocket was a significant event, as it, standing nearly 100 meters tall, was launched from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida on the third attempt. The rocket was developed by the aerospace corporation Blue Origin, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos. The probes on board were created by Rocket Lab under NASA's order and are intended to study the atmosphere and water resources of Mars, including the reasons for the planet's atmospheric loss.
The main goal of the mission is to deepen the understanding of the impact of solar activity on Mars in the past and present. This knowledge may prove crucial for ensuring the safety of future explorers who will travel to the Red Planet, warning them about potential space weather, NASA notes.
This project involves a competitor to SpaceX.
The launch of "New Glenn" takes place against the backdrop of increasing competition between Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX, which already holds a strong position in the spaceflight market. Both companies are striving to develop satellite technologies, launch private space stations, and plan to organize regular flights to the Moon.
The test launch of "New Glenn," which has been in development since 2016, took place in January. In this first commercial flight, the rocket successfully delivered a cargo module into orbit but failed to land on the platform in the Atlantic, which was part of the planned operation. The rocket, with a reusable first stage, has the capability to deliver up to 45 tons of cargo to low Earth orbit and is expected to perform at least 25 launches before returning to a barge.
