Jeff Bezos’s New Glenn rocket has proven itself, but the real test is just beginning! After a spectacular second test flight, Blue Origin’s New Glenn successfully landed and launched NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars. This achievement marks a significant step for Bezos’s ambitious megarocket, positioning it as a strong contender in the heavy-lift launch market. But what’s next for this impressive piece of engineering? Let’s dive in.
New Glenn’s true capabilities will be put to the test in the 2026-2027 launch schedule. Blue Origin has a series of ambitious missions planned, including delivering cargo and crew landers to the lunar surface, deploying new hardware for satellite maneuvers, and expanding the Amazon Leo constellation, formerly known as Project Kuiper. These missions will provide further opportunities for New Glenn to prove its reliability as a heavy-lift workhorse.
Following the recent success, New Glenn is also poised to begin launching national security payloads. The Space Force is nearing the final stages of a review process to grant the rocket a National Security Space Launch (NSSL) certification. Blue Origin currently holds an NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 award, under which the Space Force plans to utilize the company for approximately seven missions starting in fiscal year 2026.
In case you missed the launch, here’s a quick recap:
The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station around 3:55 p.m. ET. The ascent, stage separation, and fairing jettison were flawless. The booster then completed a successful re-entry and landed intact on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean – a first for Blue Origin. Shortly before 4:30 p.m. ET, New Glenn deployed NASA’s ESCAPADE probes, sending them on an 11-month journey to Mars.
New Glenn Sets its Sights on the Moon
Next up, New Glenn will launch a prototype Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander. This mission, called “Pathfinder,” is currently scheduled for sometime in January 2026, although Blue Origin’s senior director of civil space, Jacqueline Cortese, has hinted that the company could launch an MK1 demonstration mission before the end of the year.
MK1 is designed to carry up to 3 tons of payload to the lunar surface. It’s a stepping stone to the MK2 crew lander, which NASA has contracted for the Artemis 5 mission. The MK1 prototype will launch into low-Earth orbit, circling the planet three to four times before entering a more elliptical orbit. After another lap around Earth, the lander will adjust its trajectory toward the Moon, taking about a week to reach lunar orbit and finally touch down on the surface.
MK1 will carry a NASA payload called SCALPSS (Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies). This camera array will collect images during and after descent, providing critical data for future Moon landings and improving our understanding of how they affect the lunar surface.
This proof-of-concept mission is a key step toward developing MK2, as the two landers will share much of the same hardware. New Glenn is scheduled to launch an MK2 prototype sometime in late 2027.
Next Stop: Satellite Deployment
Two missions in 2026 will test New Glenn’s ability to reliably deploy satellites for both government and commercial purposes, though the exact timing remains uncertain.
The megarocket will launch Firefly’s Elytra Mission 1, which aims to demonstrate the capabilities of the Elytra spacecraft, designed to maneuver satellites. This mission will also test Xtenti’s FNTM-RiDE satellite dispenser.
Around mid-2026, New Glenn will launch its first batch of Amazon Leo satellites, adding to the current constellation of more than 3,000. Amazon Leo is Bezos’s competitor to Elon Musk’s Starlink, aiming to provide global, high-speed broadband internet.
And this is the part most people miss… New Glenn has a packed schedule ahead. The success of its recent test flight has raised expectations for the rocket as it heads into 2026.
But here’s where it gets controversial… Do you think New Glenn can truly compete with other heavy-lift launch providers? What are the biggest challenges Blue Origin faces in the coming years? Share your thoughts in the comments below!