
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Blue Origin's powerful New Glenn rocket had a very big day on Thursday (Nov. 13), and a new video lets us all relive part of it.
New Glenn launched for the second time ever on Thursday afternoon, successfully sending NASA's twin ESCAPADE Mars probes into the final frontier from Florida's Space Coast.
But that wasn't all. The two-stage rocket's huge first stage came back to Earth as planned, acing a landing on "Jacklyn," Blue Origin's drone ship, which was stationed about 375 miles (604 kilometers) offshore.
Previously, only one company had ever pulled off this dramatic maneuver — SpaceX, which has pioneered the recovery and reuse of orbital rockets.
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos celebrated the New Glenn landing on X, posting several videos of the 188-foot-tall (57 meters) booster steering its way through the sky toward Jacklyn.
One video showed the landing itself, during which the booster sidled over to Jacklyn rather than drop directly onto it from above.
"We nominally target a few hundred feet away from Jacklyn to avoid a severe impact if engines fail to start or start slowly," Bezos wrote in the Friday morning (Nov. 14) X post that featured this video. "We’ll incrementally reduce that conservatism over time. We are all excited and grateful for yesterday. Amazing performance by the team! Gradatim Ferociter."
(Gradatim Ferociter, Latin for "Step by Step, Ferociously," is Blue Origin's motto.)
Blue Origin named the first stage that flew on Thursday "Never Tell Me the Odds," a nod to the perceived improbability of a successful touchdown.
"It turns out 'Never Tell Me The Odds' had perfect odds — never before in history has a booster this large nailed the landing on the second try," Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said in a company statement. "This is just the beginning as we rapidly scale our flight cadence and continue delivering for our customers."
Each New Glenn first stage is designed to fly at least 25 times, according to Blue Origin. "Never Tell Me the Odds" looks intact — startlingly clean, in fact — in post-landing photos, so don't be surprised to see the booster on the pad again before too much longer.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Minneapolis ICE shooting: Woman dies after federal agent opens fire on her vehicle amid immigration crackdown - 2
Kidneys from Black donors are more likely to be thrown away − a bioethicist explains why - 3
Affordable Care Act enrollment is slightly ahead of last year, despite expiring subsidies - 4
Smoking rate among US adults drops to record low as vape use rises, CDC report finds - 5
Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Wellness Destination Is A Luxurious Italian Retreat
Nordic people know how to beat the winter blues. Here's how to find light in the darkest months
Unpaid caregiving work can feel small and personal, but that doesn’t take away its ethical value
Holocaust survivor, descendants urge High Court to allow Gaza children medical access
EU delays signing of Mercosur free trade deal
I asked ChatGPT who would win a Golden Globes. Here's what it got right — and totally wrong.
Ukraine confirms defence and energy ministers at second attempt
Defeating An inability to embrace success in Scholarly world: Individual Victories
Trump administration plan to reduce access to some student loans angers nurses, health care groups
Israel's haredi draft crisis: Court ruling and political stalemate reach breaking point












