Blue Origin Set for First New Glenn Rocket Launch on Sunday

In the early hours this coming Sunday, Blue Origin's long-awaited New Glenn rocket will launch for the very first time. This is a key moment for the aerospace firm founded and funded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos. Success could catapult Blue Origin past United Launch Alliance (ULA), Arianespace, and other traditional launch providers into a future of low-cost reusable rockets. By the same token, a failure could set its efforts back, potentially leading to the loss of dozens of launch contracts and leave SpaceX's dominance intact.

This is a hugely important step for Blue Origin, not only because it's a new rocket, but because this is the company's first orbital vehicle. New Sheppard has reached the edge of space, but it was not designed with orbital operation in mind. The 322-foot (98-meter) New Glenn has the potential to deploy sizable payloads in orbit, offering an alternative ...