Jeff Bezos’s New Glenn rocket to carry NASA spacecraft to Mars

• Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is set for its second launch, carrying NASA’s ESCAPADE twin spacecraft to Mars.
• The mission will test booster recovery, a milestone only achieved by SpaceX so far.
• Launch is scheduled Sunday at 2:45 PM ET within an 88-minute window.
• The mission is part of the ongoing commercial space race between Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Blue Origin is gearing up for the second launch of its massive New Glenn rocket this Sunday, marking a critical step in its rivalry with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Standing 98 meters tall, the rocket is tasked with carrying NASA’s ESCAPADE twin spacecraft to Mars to study the planet’s climate history and lay the groundwork for future human exploration.

Beyond the scientific mission, the launch will also test the rocket’s first-stage booster recovery, a technical milestone that could significantly boost Blue Origin’s capabilities in reusable rocket technology. The inaugural flight in January successfully placed its payload into orbit, but the booster failed to land on its Atlantic platform, leaving Blue Origin with a second chance to achieve the feat that SpaceX has already mastered.

The rocket is scheduled to lift off during an 88-minute launch window beginning at 2:45 PM ET (1945 GMT). Experts warn that any delays due to weather or technical issues could complicate rescheduling, especially as the Federal Aviation Administration prepares to restrict commercial rocket launches starting Monday to ease airspace congestion during the US government shutdown.

The upcoming mission also comes amid an intensified commercial space race. As the US federal space agency solicits bids for its planned Moon mission, competition between Blue Origin and SpaceX has escalated, drawing attention to the progress of private aerospace companies.

Senior aerospace executive George Nield, who has previously flown with Blue Origin, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Sunday’s launch carries significant stakes. “How the launch plays out will be an indicator of how well they’re doing and how much progress they’ve made.”

If successful, the ESCAPADE satellites aboard New Glenn are expected to reach Martian orbit in 2027. Experts like Mason Peck, a former NASA chief technologist, argue that increased competition in the space industry benefits innovation. “More launches means more ideas in space,” Peck said. “It can’t be a bad thing to have Blue Origin even trailing behind.”

The New Glenn launch underscores the accelerating pace of private space exploration and the growing rivalry among billionaires in the race to dominate commercial spaceflight.