Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: Blue Origin

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the go for the first launch of the Blue Origin New Glenn mega-booster. 

Under the FAA Part 450 commercial space launch license they authorized the maiden flight of New Glenn.

“The FAA determined Blue Origin met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements. The license allows Blue Origin to conduct orbital missions from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida with the reusable New Glenn first stage landing on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. It is valid for five years,” according to an FAA statement.

“A big thanks to the FAA for the partnership, especially over the holidays. Here’s to NG-1 [New Glenn-1] — we are really close, folks,” posted Dave Limp, CEO of Blue Origin on the Elon Musk/SpaceX-run X site.

Hotfire!

To Limp’s point, Blue Origin’s New Glenn completed on December 27 an Integrated Launch Vehicle hotfire, deemed as the final major milestone for the launchers first flight. The seven-engine hotfire lasted 24 seconds and also marked an earlier set of inert functional and tanking tests.

Image credit: Blue Origin

New Glenn features Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines, “the most powerful liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled, oxygen-rich staged combustion engine ever flown,” the entrepreneurial space company explains.

Image credit: Blue Origin

New Glenn’s first and second stage mate . Photo taken November 12, 2024.
Image credit: Blue OriginBlue Origin’s New Glenn completed on December 27 an Integrated Launch Vehicle hotfire, deemed as the final major milestone for the launchers first flight. The seven-engine hotfire lasted 24 seconds and also marked an earlier set of inert functional and tanking tests.

For detailed information on New Glenn, go to:

https://www.blueorigin.com/new-glenn

Image credit: Blue Origin