Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket not only launched NASA's ESCAPADE mission toward Mars but also achieved what no other reusable heavy-lift booster has done -- land successfully on its second attempt.
The massive rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:55 PM Eastern time. Seven BE-4 engines roared to life at Launch Complex 36, propelling the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft toward their designated orbit. Minutes later, the first stage executed a precise touchdown on the drone ship Jacklyn, positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.
"We achieved full mission success today, and I am so proud of the team," said Dave Limp, CEO, Blue Origin. "It turns out Never Tell Me The Odds had perfect odds -- never before in history has a booster this large nailed the landing on the second try. This is just the beginning as we rapidly scale our flight cadence and continue delivering for our customers."
The accomplishment puts Blue Origin in elite company. While SpaceX took multiple attempts to perfect booster recovery, New Glenn demonstrated reusability on flight two -- an unprecedented feat for a vehicle of this size.
ESCAPADE now sits in a loiter orbit, waiting for the right planetary alignment. The mission won't begin its Martian journey until fall 2026, when Earth and Mars reach optimal positions. Once there, the twin spacecraft will study how solar wind strips away the Martian atmosphere, potentially explaining how the red planet transformed from a wetter world into the arid desert we see today.
The flight carried additional cargo beyond the NASA probes. Viasat's HaloNet demonstration successfully tested a new telemetry relay service aboard New Glenn's second stage. This technology will support NASA's Communications Services Project.
"Congratulations to Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, UC Berkeley, and all of our partners on the successful launch of ESCAPADE," said the acting NASA Administrator, Secretary Sean Duffy. "This heliophysics mission will help reveal how Mars became a desert planet, and how solar eruptions affect the Martian surface. Every launch of New Glenn provides data that will be essential when we launch MK-1 through Artemis. All of this information will be critical to protect future NASA explorers and invaluable as we evaluate how to deliver on President Trump's vision of planting the Stars and Stripes on Mars."
New Glenn sits at the center of Blue Origin's ambitious plans. The rocket will support lunar missions, deploy Amazon's Kuiper satellite constellation, and eventually launch Blue Ring -- a spacecraft designed to move payloads between different orbits. The company envisions the vehicle enabling permanent human settlements on the Moon and supporting commercial space stations in Earth orbit.
The order book looks robust. Beyond NASA and Viasat, customers include Amazon's Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, and multiple telecommunications companies. Multiple New Glenn vehicles are already under construction at Blue Origin's facilities.
This mission also served as the second certification flight for the U.S. Space Force's National Security Space Launch program. Approval would allow New Glenn to carry classified military and intelligence payloads -- a lucrative market currently dominated by SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and United Launch Alliance.
"Today was a tremendous achievement for the New Glenn team, opening a new era for Blue Origin and the industry as we look to launch, land, repeat, again and again," said Jordan Charles, Vice President, New Glenn. "We've made significant progress on manufacturing at rate and building ahead of need. Our primary focus remains focused on increasing cadence and working through our manifest."
The successful landing preserves a booster worth tens of millions of dollars. Reusability slashes launch costs, allowing Blue Origin to price New Glenn competitively while maintaining healthy margins. The company plans to increase flight frequency throughout 2026 as production ramps up.
With two successful flights completed, New Glenn has proven its core design. The hard work begins now -- transforming a promising prototype into a reliable workhorse capable of flying multiple times per month.