Blue Origin Lands Its New Glenn Rocket Booster for 1st Time
Digest more
Chinese commercial space company Galactic Energy said a launch mission for one of its Ceres-1 rockets failed on Monday, preventing it from delivering its payload of satellites to orbit.
On November 4, 2015, the United States Air Force planned to launch an experimental rocket for small satellites. The launch didn't according to plan. For this mission, the Air Force was testing out the Super Strypi rocket.
The hold-down firing of the first stage engines was the final major test of the New Glenn rocket before launch day. Blue Origin previously test-fired the rocket’s second-stage engines. Officials have not announced a target launch date, but sources tell Ars the rocket could be ready for liftoff as soon as November 9.
The ESCAPADE mission, which launched to space on a Blue Origin rocket on Thursday, breaks the mold of how planetary science missions typically come together.
Blue Origin achieved a significant milestone with its New Glenn rocket. The booster successfully landed at sea after its debut mission. The rocket also carried NASA's ESCAPADE satellites on their journey to Mars.