New Glenn rocket has clear path to launch after test-firing at Cape Canaveral

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Takes Major Step Forward, Nears Launch with NASA Probes.

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has cleared a major hurdle after successfully test-firing its seven main engines on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The company, backed by billionaire Jeff Bezos, is now poised to send two NASA-owned spacecraft to Mars as part of the agency's Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission.

The test-firing, which took place on Thursday night, was the final major test of the New Glenn rocket before its maiden voyage. Blue Origin had previously test-fired the rocket's second-stage engines. While officials have not announced a specific launch date, sources indicate that the rocket could be ready for liftoff as early as November 9.

The ESCAPADE mission is a low-cost Solar System mission aimed at studying the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere of Mars. The twin spacecraft will study this phenomenon in detail, shedding light on how Mars transitioned from a warmer, wetter world to its current rust-colored desert state.

Blue Origin is counting on recovering the New Glenn first stage on the next flight after missing the landing on the rocket's inaugural mission in January. If successful, the company hopes to reuse this booster on subsequent launches early next year, including one that will propel its Blue Moon lander toward the Moon.

The $20 million launch fee for ESCAPADE is a significant discount compared to other dedicated launch options. However, NASA is accepting more risk due to the New Glenn rocket's untested status for high-priority government launches. The mission's total cost of less than $80 million represents an order of magnitude lower than all of NASA's recent Mars missions.

The ESCAPADE spacecraft will arrive at Mars in September 2027 and begin their science observations a few months later. Despite being significantly lighter than the New Glenn rocket, which has the potential to carry much heavier payloads, these twin probes represent an exciting new chapter for NASA's low-cost Solar System exploration program.

omg this is so cool! blue origin is literally making history with their new glenn rocket & now they're one step closer to sending nasa's probes to mars!!! what a game changer for space exploration the fact that they're keeping costs low too (way cheaper than other launch options) is amazing can't wait to see these spacecraft in action & learn so much about mars

yep this is so exciting news! Blue Origin finally taking major steps forward with their New Glenn rocket and now they're getting to send those NASA probes to Mars which is huge I'm thinking we're gonna see a lot more of private space companies like this in the future... it's gonna be wild

you know what i think about this whole thing? it's all about taking calculated risks and pushing boundaries. blue origin is being super aggressive here, testing the limits of their rocket before even sending it to space. that's bold, but also kinda reckless... we could be looking at a major failure if they don't nail it next time

but think bigger picture: this whole thing is about innovation and progress. if blue origin succeeds, it'll open up new possibilities for space exploration and maybe even make it more accessible to regular folks . it's all about the potential returns on investment.

the $20 million launch fee seems cheap compared to other options, but i'm guessing that's because nasa is essentially giving blue origin a free pass... they're taking on more risk than they normally would in hopes of saving some cash

anyway, just food for thought . what do you guys think about this whole escapade?

I'm like, totally stoked about this Blue Origin news ... but at the same time, I'm kinda worried they're rushing into things ... I mean, two successful test-firing of engines is a big deal, no doubt ... but we've never seen a rocket like New Glenn in action before ... and then there's the fact that NASA's putting all this faith in an untested system ... that's got me on edge ... and don't even get me started on the cost ... $20 million is a great deal, but still, it's like they're playing with fire ... on the other hand, if this mission goes off without a hitch, it'll be huge ... but what if it doesn't?

omg can't believe blue origin is finally making progress , been following this rocket for ages and it feels like they're really getting somewhere now . the fact that nasa is willing to take a chance on an untested rocket is crazy , but i guess you gotta take risks when trying to make space exploration more affordable .

so, what's up with these escapeade mission? , sounds like it's gonna be super cool to learn more about mars' magnetosphere . and the fact that they're reusing the new glenn rocket is genius , can't wait to see if blue origin can make it work .

anyway, i'm kinda surprised nasa isn't charging more for this mission , but hey, at least we get to have some affordable space exploration . fingers crossed they can get the new glenn rocket ready by november 9 !

OMG, I'm so hyped about Blue Origin's progress ! The fact that they've test-fired their seven main engines and are now one step away from launching those NASA probes to Mars is insane . And can we talk about the $20 million launch fee for ESCAPADE? That's like, totally affordable compared to other launches out there . I'm all about reusability, you know? If Blue Origin can pull off recovering that first stage, they'll be setting a whole new standard for space exploration .

I love how NASA is taking a chance on the New Glenn rocket, too. They're essentially investing in an untested technology with the hope of getting it to Mars by 2027 . It's a risk worth taking if it means saving millions of dollars and exploring more of our solar system .

And those twin probes are gonna give us some serious insights into Mars' magnetosphere . I'm all for studying how Mars transitioned from a warmer, wetter world to its current rust-colored state . It's like, whoa, space is full of mysteries waiting to be solved ! Can't wait to see what Blue Origin and NASA come up with next

omg u guys idk if i'll actually be able to see the launch of blue origin's new glenn rocket lol my hubby works at nasa and he said they had some major issues with the engines last month but it looks like they got it sorted out now anyway i'm literally so hyped for this mission they're sending those probes to mars!! i remember when i was in high school we did a project on mars and i was obsessed my hubby's coworker's sister is actually part of the team working on the ESCAPADE mission it's gonna be so cool to see what kind of discoveries they make can't wait for sept 2027!!! btw my hubby just told me that they're having some issues with the landing process for the first stage and i'm like "what does that mean for the future of reusable rockets?"

I'm still not convinced about this whole reusable rocket thing ... Like, sure, it sounds great in theory, but have they actually tested the whole system on the ground before sending it to Mars? I mean, we're talking about a $20 million launch fee for basically two tiny spacecraft . And what's with all these mission cancellations and delays? I know NASA is trying to save money, but isn't this just going to end up costing them more in the long run? Also, have they thought through the whole landing thing? We're talking about a rocket stage that's only supposed to make it halfway around the Earth before splashing down . I'm no expert, but I think there are a lot of unknowns here...

just thinkin', with the new Glenn rocket bein' ready by november, it's gonna be cool to see those NASA spacecraft on mars in 2027... that $20 million launch fee is a game changer tho

omg did u guys know that blue origin is literally about 2 launch nasa probes 2 mars?! they got this major step forward with test-firing the main engines & now its just a matter of time b4 launch! $20 million launch fee tho sounds insane compared to all the other costs for dedicated launches but u can't put a price on exploring space, right?

finally, someone's doing something right. I mean, who needs all that fancy government funding when you can do it on a budget? It's about time we had some innovation around here. Blue Origin's been working hard to make this happen and it's great to see it paying off.

I'm not sure I buy all this hype about Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket . I mean, a $20 million launch fee is peanuts compared to what other companies are charging, but the risks involved are still pretty high. I don't think it's a good idea to be sending untested tech into space, especially when it comes to something as critical as NASA missions .

And let's not forget about the whole reusability thing . If they can't even get that right on their first few flights, how reliable is it going to be in real-world conditions? I'm not convinced that this technology is ready for prime time just yet .

Plus, what's the point of sending two tiny spacecraft to Mars when there are so many bigger questions still unanswered about our solar system ? Is this really a step forward or just a bunch of hype marketing .

OMG like wut!!! Blue Origin is literally changing the game with New Glenn and now they're gonna send 2 NASA spacecraft to Mars as part of ESCAPADE mission!!! Can you even imagine how cool it's gonna be to study the interaction between solar wind and Mars' magnetosphere?! And the fact that Blue Origin is offering a $20 million launch fee for this mission is insane ! It's like, so low cost compared to other options. I'm literally hyped for the November 9 launch date . If they can recover the first stage on the next flight, it'll be a major win for Blue Origin and will pave the way for reusing this booster on subsequent launches . This is gonna be EPIC !

so I think its cool that Blue Origin is pushing the boundaries with their New Glenn rocket they're making a big step forward by successfully test-firing those 7 main engines and now they're on track to send NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars

I love how low-cost this mission is for NASA, like $80 million is super cheap compared to other Mars missions it shows that Blue Origin and NASA are working together to make space exploration more accessible

the idea of reusing the New Glenn first stage on subsequent launches is a total game-changer imagine being able to launch payloads way cheaper and more efficiently than ever before

OMG, can u believe this? Blue Origin just cleared the biggest hurdle 4 their New Glenn rocket! They successfully test-fired all 7 main engines on the launch pad @ Cape Canaveral Space Force Station And now they're just a few months away from launching NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars

Here are some mind-blowing stats:
- Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has an estimated price tag of $250 million per launch (compared to SpaceX's Starship at $200 million)
- The ESCAPADE mission is gonna save NASA around 70% on launch costs ($80 million vs. all recent Mars missions!)
- NASA is willing to accept more risk with the New Glenn rocket due to its untested status
- The twin spacecraft will arrive at Mars in Sept 2027 and begin science observations a few months later

Also, did u know?
- Blue Origin plans to recover the first stage of the New Glenn rocket on the next flight (and hopefully make it reusable early next year!)
- The company is aiming for a Nov 9th launch date

omg i cant even believe blue origin is finally making progress on new glenn theyre like literally one step away from launch and its gonna be epic when those nasa probes hit mars sept 2027 the escapecade mission sounds so cool too studying the solar wind and magnetosphere of mars will def shed some major light on how it went from a warm wet world to desolate desert planet anyway i hope blue origin can recover that first stage after their last launch, thats been a major issue for them if they succeed, reuse on subsequent launches is gonna save so much cash