Blue Origin Targets 2025 for First New Glenn Launch Following Historic Crew Capsule Debut
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA – November 19, 2025 – Following the triumphant November 18, 2025, uncrewed flight of its New Shepard suborbital rocket and capsule, Blue Origin is now focused on preparations for the inaugural launch of its much larger, orbital-class New Glenn rocket. The company anticipates the first New Glenn mission will occur in late 2025, marking a pivotal moment in Blue Origin’s ambition to become a leading provider of heavy-lift launch services and contribute to the expanding commercial space sector.
new Glenn, significantly more powerful than New Shepard, is designed to deliver payloads directly to orbit, opening opportunities for launching larger satellites, space stations components, and eventually, human spaceflight missions. This capability is crucial as demand for space-based services – including communications,Earth observation,and scientific research – continues to grow. The rocket’s development has faced delays, but the recent New Shepard success demonstrates progress in Blue Origin’s overall launch capabilities and provides valuable operational experience.
The New Glenn rocket stands 270 feet (82 meters) tall and is powered by seven BE-4 engines – four on the first stage and three on the second stage. Notably, the BE-4 engine is also used on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket. Blue Origin aims to make New Glenn partially reusable, with the first stage designed to land vertically on a ship in the Gulf of Mexico, similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
Currently, blue Origin has secured contracts for New Glenn launches, including missions for the U.S. military and commercial satellite operators. One confirmed customer is amazon’s Project Kuiper, which plans to use New Glenn to deploy a constellation of satellites providing global broadband internet access. The company has not yet announced specific launch dates for these missions, but the 2025 debut is a critical step toward fulfilling those commitments.
