Blue Origin’s eagerly awaited New Glenn rocket is all set to make its inaugural flight, with the reusable vehicle scheduled to lift off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station within the next few hours. After experiencing setbacks due to adverse weather, the clouds have dispersed, and all is ready to demonstrate what New Glenn can accomplish.

### A Decade in the Making
New Glenn marks Blue Origin’s first foray into orbital rocketry and has been in the works for more than ten years. In contrast to the company’s previous spacecraft, like the **New Shepard**, which mainly operated close to the **Kármán line**—the threshold around 62 miles (100 km) above Earth signifying the start of space—New Glenn aims to venture significantly further. The rocket is projected to achieve a peak altitude of roughly 12,000 miles (19,300 km), representing a considerable advancement in Blue Origin’s capabilities.

Measuring over **320 feet (98 meters) tall**, New Glenn is significantly larger than its forerunner, New Shepard, which stands merely **63 feet (19 meters)** in height. This dimensional difference illustrates the rocket’s ambitious goal to expand the frontiers of space exploration.

### Testing the Waters
The inaugural mission of New Glenn, called **New Glenn-1**, will be uncrewed. Instead, the mission’s main focus will be to successfully reach orbit and evaluate the technology for Blue Origin’s intended **Blue Ring spacecraft platform**. Furthermore, the mission will initiate the certification process necessary for New Glenn to transport military payloads into orbit. Securing this certification would enable Blue Origin to vie for contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, directly positioning itself against industry giant SpaceX.

A crucial aim of the mission is to bring back New Glenn’s booster in one piece. A landing zone has been arranged in the Atlantic Ocean, where Blue Origin hopes to achieve a successful booster landing, demonstrating the rocket’s reusability.

### Launch Details
The launch window for New Glenn-1 opens on **Monday at 1 a.m. EST / Sunday at 10 p.m. PST**, with a three-hour timeframe for liftoff. Blue Origin will be livestreaming the event on its YouTube channel, allowing space aficionados a prime opportunity to experience this historic occasion.

This launch represents a pivotal achievement for Blue Origin as it seeks to reinforce its standing in the competitive space sector. With New Glenn, the company is making a daring move towards broadening its capabilities and establishing itself as a significant contender in both commercial and military space ventures.