Blue Origin To Test In-Space Technology On New Glenn Flight

The New Glenn rocket is scheduled to launch from a Blue Origin-controlled launchpad in Florida.

Blue Origin had initially planned to launch a pair of Mars-bound satellites on behalf of NASA for the maiden flight of New Glenn. However, due to delays in the rocket's development, NASA decided to reschedule the launch to this spring at the earliest.

For its inaugural flight, Blue Origin made the decision to substitute the Mars-bound satellites with a 'demonstrator' that will focus on testing technology crucial for the proposed Blue Ring spacecraft. The Blue Ring spacecraft is designed to function as an in-space rideshare vehicle, capable of transporting satellites deeper into space as required.

Mars-bound satellites were replaced with a 'demonstrator' for testing Blue Ring spacecraft technology.

Blue Origin rescheduled New Glenn's maiden flight due to rocket development delays.

The 'demonstrator' will not be deployed into space but will remain on the rocket for testing.

The 'demonstrator' aboard the New Glenn flight will not be deployed into space; instead, it will remain on the rocket for the entire six-hour flight. Blue Origin stated that the purpose of this mission is to validate 'communications capabilities from orbit to ground' and to conduct tests on 'in-space telemetry, tracking and command hardware, and ground-based radiometric tracking' for the Blue Ring spacecraft.

The Blue Ring Pathfinder demonstrator is part of an agreement between Blue Origin and the US Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit.