Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, has been making waves in the space industry with its innovative rocket technology. In 2021, the company made headlines with the successful launch of its New Shepard rocket, which is designed for short suborbital flights that touch the edge of space. Since then, Blue Origin has conducted a total of nine crewed missions, carrying nearly 50 passengers, including notable figures like William Shatner and Michael Strahan.
However, the company's latest project, New Glenn, represents a significant leap forward in its capabilities. Unlike New Shepard, which aims to reach the Kármán Line to technically enter space, New Glenn is designed to achieve orbit, requiring much greater power and speed. The size difference between the two rockets is staggering, with New Shepard standing at 60 feet and New Glenn towering at 320 feet. In fact, the entire New Shepard vehicle can fit inside New Glenn's cargo bay.
While New Shepard relies on a single rocket engine for its short joy rides, New Glenn is equipped to reach speeds exceeding 17,500 miles per hour, nearly 23 times the speed of sound. Despite its impressive capabilities, Blue Origin has no immediate plans to send humans on New Glenn flights. Instead, the rocket is intended for carrying large spacecraft, small satellites, and other payloads, such as components for an orbital space station.
