Blue Origin successfully landed its New Glenn mega-rocket’s booster on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean and deployed NASA spacecraft to Mars.
This achievement marks Blue Origin as the second company to land a booster for reuse, following SpaceX. The successful landing enhances the new rocket system’s capability for transporting large payloads into space, including lunar and interplanetary missions.
Concurrently, the New Glenn’s upper stage, approximately 34 minutes after liftoff, deployed its first commercial payload. This payload consists of twin NASA spacecraft designed to study the Martian atmosphere.
The dual accomplishments occurred during the second launch of the massive rocket system. SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell acknowledged Blue Origin’s success with “Magnificent!” on X, and Elon Musk offered congratulations.
Magnificent! https://t.co/TTshvx2GNY
— Gwynne Shotwell (@Gwynne_Shotwell) November 13, 2025
New Glenn’s initial launch occurred in January. The second launch faced multiple delays, including weather and solar storms, after an initial target of spring. The rocket launched from Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Thursday at approximately 3:55 p.m. ET.
Approximately four minutes into the flight, the second stage separated. The 189-foot-tall New Glenn booster returned, touching down on the platform about 10 minutes into the flight.
Blue Origin’s previous attempt to land the New Glenn booster during its first flight in January resulted in an explosion. The company subsequently collaborated with the Federal Aviation Administration to implement necessary fixes.
The ability to land and reuse a booster is critical for reducing launch costs for customers, a capability SpaceX has mastered. Blue Origin must now demonstrate its capacity to refurbish and relaunch the booster.
These capabilities are vital for commercial and government missions. Blue Origin is developing a lunar lander, as is SpaceX with Starship. NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy recently criticized SpaceX for slow progress in lunar programs. Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp stated his company “will move heaven and Earth” to accelerate NASA’s return to the moon, contingent on proving New Glenn’s capabilities. Thursday’s launch significantly advanced this objective.
