Blue Origin’s heavy‑lift New Glenn rocket finally made its commercial debut, lofting eight full‑production Kuiper broadband satellites on a flawless ascent from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral. The reusable BE‑4‑powered first stage fired for 184 seconds before separating for a boost‑back toward a drone‑ship landing 620 kilometers downrange. Mission controllers confirmed main‑engine cutoff, stage separation, and upper‑stage ignition all occurred within planned parameters.
Once in a 600 km circular orbit inclined 51.9 degrees, the second stage performed a precise two‑burn sequence to deploy the stack of Kuiper craft, each equipped with phased‑array antennas designed to provide global internet service. Engineers reported healthy telemetry as the satellites powered up and spread their solar wings during the first pass over ground stations in South America.
For Blue Origin, the flight marks a pivotal step toward a robust manifest that now includes NASA ESCAPADE, multiple DoD missions, and additional Kuiper launches. Company officials say data gathered from the BE‑4 engines’ in‑flight performance will feed directly into the upcoming crew‑rated New Glenn variant, slated to support orbital tourism by the end of the decade.