Blue Origin’s mammoth New Glen rocket will take off from Florida for the third time this weekend.
At over 300 feet tall, the rocket is the largest of its kind in the world. It is central to Jeff Bezos’ ambitions for his Blue Origin Spaceflight company to compete with fellow billionaires Elon Musk and SpaceX in the commercial rocket market.
Next up, New Glenn will be a rocket to launch Bezos’ growing Amazon LEO broadband satellite network — a direct challenger to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite business — and could later carry Blue Origin’s lunar lander to the moon in 2026. Blue Origin is also in talks with the US Space Force to expand its New Glen operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
For now, though, there’s another reason to be the launch service provider for the new Glenn Rocket Broadband company’s satellites.
Ready for lift off? As usual, Blue Origin will provide a livestream of the mission.
Here’s how to watch Blue Origin’s livestream of the new Glenn rocket launch.
When will Blue Origin’s new Glen Rocket be launched?
Blue Origin’s third new Glenn rocket lands in Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday, April 14, in the evening.
Blue Origin announced that it is targeting Sunday, April 19, for the next launch of its massive new Glenn rocket. The launch window is set to be open from 6:45 to 8:45 a.m. ET at Launch Complex 36, Blue Origin’s site at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
How to watch the Blue Origin livestream of the new Glenn launch
Blue Origin will provide live coverage of the mission beginning approximately 30 minutes before launch on its website and social media platform X.
The launch comes after the new Glen heats up
Blue Origin committed to the launch time after New Glen underwent a critical preflight test known as a hot fire.
Testing before launch is a critical step that involves igniting and running the rocket’s engines while the spacecraft is upright on the launch pad to make sure they’re working properly — it’s not like revving a car while it’s in park.
What is the new Glen Rocket? How big is it?
Named in honor of NASA astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, the New Glenn is a powerful two-stage rocket manufactured by Blue Origin and classified as a heavy-lift launch vehicle.
The new Glenn rocket is about 320 feet tall, making it the world’s largest rocket.
What is Bluebird 7? Here is Blue Origin’s plan for the NG-3
Because the next launch will be the new Glenn’s third space flight after its January 2025 debut, Blue Origin refers to the mission as NG-3.
This time, the rocket is due to help deliver broadband network satellites into orbit for cellular broadband service provider AST Spacemobile. The BlueBird 7 satellite, with a communications array as large as 2,400 square feet, will be the largest satellite ever to be commercially deployed in low-Earth orbit, AST SpaceMobile said in a press release.
In a major milestone for Blue Origin, the company plans to repurpose the 188-foot-tall first stage booster used in a previous launch in November, dubbed “Never Tell Me the Odds.” Launching the booster, which provides the initial burst at liftoff, will be an important step toward allowing New Glenn to launch multiple times for a second time.
The ability to recover and reuse boosters is something competitor SpaceX has long perfected with its 230-foot Falcon 9 — the world’s most active rocket.
Eric Lagatta is a Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When does the new Glen start? Check out Blue Origin’s coverage of the Rockets
