NASA is planning a science mission to Mars and will board New Glenn. It is Blue Origin’s first major government contract for a rocket that has yet to be tested.
New Glenn is the much larger sibling of the suborbital New Shepard rocket that has taken so many famous and wealthy people to the farthest reaches of space. But six years later, we still haven’t seen Neugren in full form, let alone ready to launch a mission to Mars.
Newglen’s maiden flight was scheduled for late 2021, but due to a failed deal with the Pentagon, that date was “adjusted” to earlier in the year. But apparently it has passed. I asked for a time update.
The launch deal is made through NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program, which earlier last year allocated up to $300 million to be split among 13 companies for various types of launch services. Everyone is on the list, offering low-cost options for missions that aren’t inherently important.
“These small satellites and Class D payloads tolerate relatively high risks and serve as ideal platforms for technological and architectural innovation,” NASA wrote upon receiving the award. In other words, it’s certainly better not to blow up, but at this price who’s claiming it?
A lucky mission to earn a spot in Newglen is Escapade. This is, oddly enough, a dual-craft Mars magnetospheric study being designed and built by launch rival Rocket Lab. (While they are not actually duplicates yet, they are nominally in conflict.)
The assumed launch date is 2024, but it’s easy to slip, especially if the rocket to be launched is still theoretical. I asked Rocket Lab what they thought of all this, so I’ll update when I hear back.
New Glenn may not have flown yet, but the interest is most likely coming from friends at Amazon’s communications satellite constellation company, Kuiper’s Blue Origin. Last year they ordered 12 of his. This should keep Blue’s new Huntsville facility operational for the foreseeable future.
