Emma Roth , a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Updated Jan 13, 2025, 6:52 AM UTC Share this story NASA wants SpaceX and Blue Origin to deliver cargo to the moon As pointed out by NPR, New Glenn has a similar carrying capacity to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, but it stands out with a larger, 23-foot-wide cargo bay. If New Glenn’s launch is successful, it could heat up its rivalry with SpaceX as both companies vie to secure lucrative government contracts. New Glenn is also key to Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite internet initiative. Though the company’s first set of satellites is scheduled to launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket this year, Blue Origin will eventually launch Project Kuiper satellites aboard New Glenn, rivaling SpaceX’s Starlink. Amazon plans to send 3,236 Project Kuiper satellites into space, which is still far fewer than Starlink’s growing constellation of more than 6,000 satellites. What to expect from New Glenn’s first launch New Glenn is set to take off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with a three-hour launch window opening on January 13th at 1AM ET (10PM PT). The launch was originally scheduled for January 10th, but it was pushed back due to “a high sea state in the Atlantic,” first to January 12th and then to January 13th as the “still unfavorable” conditions continued. A launch into orbit would be a success, all else is a bonus. Image: Blue Origin During this uncrewed launch, New Glenn will have the Blue Ring Pathfinder on board, a payload consisting of a communications array, a power system, and a flight computer. It will test the company’s Blue Ring spacecraft, which will help support missions with refueling, hosting, data relay, and cloud computing capabilities. The goal is for New Glenn to reach orbit, while “anything beyond that,” like landing its reusable booster, is a “bonus,” according to Blue Origin CEO David Limp. The Blue Ring Pathfinder will be aboard the New Glenn during its first launch. Image: Blue Origin “This is our first flight and we’ve prepared rigorously for it,” Jarrett Jones, the senior vice president of New Glenn, said in a statement. “But no amount of ground testing or mission simulations are a replacement for flying this rocket. It’s time to fly. No matter what happens, we’ll learn, refine, and apply that knowledge to our next launch.” How to watch New Glenn’s launch live Blue Origin will livestream the launch from its website, its X account, and its YouTube channel. The YouTube stream is embedded at the top of this article. Update January 13th: Noted that the launch has been scrubbed. Most Popular