Blue Origin plans New Glenn booster landing for moon reuse
Blue Origin has announced intentions to land and catch the first stage booster of its New Glenn rocket during its next launch, aiming to reuse it for future lunar missions. This move is part of broader efforts to advance reusable rocketry amid the intensifying US-China space race. The company sees this as a key step toward more cost-effective deep space exploration.
Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, revealed plans on October 2025 to attempt a historic landing of the New Glenn rocket's first stage booster following its upcoming flight. The company intends to use mechanical arms on the launch tower at Cape Canaveral, Florida, to catch the returning booster, marking a significant advancement in reusable launch technology. This approach draws inspiration from SpaceX's Falcon 9 successes but scales up for the much larger New Glenn vehicle, which stands over 300 feet tall and is designed for heavy-lift payloads to orbit and beyond.
The next New Glenn launch is targeted for early 2025, though exact dates remain fluid pending regulatory approvals. If successful, the captured booster would undergo refurbishment and be repurposed for missions supporting NASA's Artemis program, including potential lunar landings. Blue Origin's vice president of launch vehicles stated, "Landing and reusing the booster will dramatically reduce costs for lunar missions, enabling more frequent access to the Moon." This aligns with the company's contract under NASA's Human Landing System program, where New Glenn could ferry components for sustainable lunar presence.
In the wider context of the lunar space race, the US has lagged behind China, which has achieved multiple uncrewed lunar landings since 2013, including the Chang'e-6 sample return mission in 2024. The last US manned Moon landing was Apollo 17 in 1972. Experts note that America's strategy to catch up relies heavily on private firms like Blue Origin and SpaceX. A space policy analyst commented, "By accelerating reusable tech, the US can leverage commercial innovation to regain leadership in lunar exploration without solely depending on government budgets."
No major contradictions appear between reports, though timelines for the launch have varied slightly in past updates, with delays attributed to supply chain issues. Blue Origin emphasizes that successful reuse could cut launch costs by up to 70%, making moon missions more viable. This development underscores the growing role of commercial spaceflight in national space ambitions.