BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Blue Origin says its New Glenn Rocket is ready to launch now!
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But before that happens, the company is waiting for regulatory approvals for a hot-fire test and the rocket’s maiden flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Earlier today, teams successfully completed a tanking test on the heavy-lift rocket.
Dr. Don Platt, Associate Professor of Space Systems at Florida Institute of Technology, told Channel 9, “You know, Blue Origin has been working towards the launch of their orbital rocket, the New Glenn, for a number of years now. And so, we’re about ready to finally see the first test flight.”
The New Glenn’s first flight will carry the “Blue Ring Pathfinder” a transfer vehicle that will help enable future Department of Defense Missions.
Platt said, “As I understand it, is that it is a capability to maneuver payloads, and these could be scientific payloads or probably more specifically, maybe even military payloads, you know, between different areas in space, essentially different orbits and maybe even provide some logistic support like eventually servicing of satellites that are already in orbit.”
Before liftoff, the rocket already has a list of customers, including Amazon’s Project Kuiper, NASA, Telesat, and others.
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