Blue Origin, founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its massive New Glenn rocket. It took off from Cape Canaveral Thursday carrying twin NASA satellites headed for Mars.
The 321-foot-tall rocket, powered by seven methane-burning engines, is now officially on its maiden flight.
About 30 minutes after liftoff, the Escape probes separated from the booster, beginning their year-long looping journey to Mars. They’ll study how solar wind and radiation strip away the planet’s atmosphere — clues to what made the red planet barren.
Blue Origin said the rocket’s reusable booster will be towed back to Port Canaveral for refurbishing and prepped for future missions.
Scientists note that launch windows to Mars open every two years, when Earth and Mars align just right, making direct travel possible with today’s rockets.
