In a thrilling early morning launch on January 16, 2025, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket soared into orbit from Cape Canaveral, proving that even when things go wrong, they can still reach for the stars—just not the barge.

Despite a rocky start that ended with its booster taking a swim instead of a stylish landing on its namesake barge, New Glenn's debut mission successfully delivered its payload into orbit. This marks Blue Origin's first foray into the satellite launch business, stepping into a competitive ring already dominated by SpaceX, and with plans to explore both low-Earth orbit and the depths of Bezos's ambition, the stakes couldn't be higher—or splashier.

The New Glenn rocket blasted off at precisely 2:03 a.m. EST, achieving orbital speeds exceeding 17,000 miles per hour, which is roughly the same speed at which a frustrated parent chases after a toddler who just spotted a cookie. The mission was ambitious, to say the least, with a primary objective to get its second stage and payload—featuring the multi-role Blue Ring Pathfinder—safely into orbit. This payload is designed to be as useful in space as a Swiss Army knife, though hopefully with fewer hidden blades.

While the launch was celebrated as a success, it's worth noting that New Glenn's first-stage booster did indeed plummet into the ocean rather than gracefully landing on the barge, which bears the endearing name 'Jacklyn,' in honor of none other than Jeff Bezos's mother. One can only imagine the conversation leading up to the namesake: 'Hey Mom, we’ll name the barge after you, and if it doesn't land, we'll say the booster was just asking for directions.' Reid Hoffman once said that failure is a stepping stone to success, yet one wonders if he ever tried to recover a rocket booster from the Atlantic.

Powered by seven BE-4 engines, the New Glenn rocket burns methane, which, if you’re keeping score, is more environmentally friendly than the rocket fuel used by its competitors. However, opinions on whether sustainability can coexist with space launches might vary based on the barbecue preferences of those at mission control. Yet, Blue Origin remains undeterred by the shortcomings of its first landing attempt, planning between six to eight more New Glenn flights throughout 2025, provided nothing else goes awry, like rain or someone forgetting to charge a battery.

Despite the mishaps, Jeff Bezos himself took part in the mission from the control room, a move that could be interpreted as either a show of confidence or the equivalent of a fast food manager quietly watching their latest promotion fail spectacularly. In an unexpected turn for a billionaire competing in the space race, Bezos stated that Blue Origin does not see itself as a competitor to SpaceX. This is probably the same way your neighbor doesn’t view you as a competing barbecue chef when they burn the burgers on a Saturday afternoon.

In a moment that could have been plucked from an interplanetary soap opera, Elon Musk offered congratulations to Blue Origin on their inaugural launch. Whether it was genuine or included a side glance at his own timeline of rockets remains an open question, but it did fuel an awkward rumor that rival billionaires were developing a friendly bake-off ritual in space. Perhaps they’ve gone beyond just space travel to compete in aerial cooking skills, where the real showdown occurs when they try to make mayonnaise in microgravity.

Looking ahead, Blue Origin's trajectory involves deploying Project Kuiper satellites and supporting NASA's Artemis program. The Artemis mission hopes to return humans to the Moon, and with it, the venture to leave various objects behind. Think of it as camping but with all the added splendor of a thousand-dollar space launch and the inevitable leaving behind of an air mattress—because even astronauts deserve a night of comfort before they decide to float back home.

The rocket's first-stage booster was lost during its descent attempt to land on a barge named Jacklyn, which is named after Jeff Bezos's mother. A little turbulence in the balance between euphoria and disappointment is just part of the job description; after all, we’re not exactly expecting perfection in a field where the horizon can be vastly different planet to planet.

As experts say, the best way to ensure you hit your target is to keep aiming high. Blue Origin certainly seems to be living by that creed. With plans to conduct between six to eight New Glenn flights in 2025 if everything goes well, space exploration is sure to get even more enthralling. Just remember, if you're planning on watching the next launch, get comfy—it’s usually a delicate balance between gravity and the dreams we dream.