New Glenn NG-2 Achieves Full Mission Success, Lands Booster at Sea
88 FOMOBlue Origin's second New Glenn flight on November 13, 2025 achieved full mission success: the ESCAPADE twin spacecraft were deployed to their loiter orbit en route to Mars, and the first stage booster "Never Tell Me the Odds" landed on the Jacklyn platform vessel in the Atlantic — making Blue Origin only the second company ever to recover an orbital-class booster. The flight certified New Glenn for NASA and set up future Blue Moon lunar lander missions.
Details
Mission
- Vehicle
- New Glenn 7×2
- Payload
- NASA ESCAPADE twin spacecraft (Mars heliophysics)
- Orbit
- MEO loiter orbit → Mars transfer
Coverage
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CSIS ·
How Important Is Blue Origin's Second New Glenn Launch?CSIS strategic analysis of NG-2's implications: Blue Origin is now the second entity globally to routinely recover orbital-class boosters. The success unlocks the path to NSSL certification, Blue Moon Mk1 launch in 2026, and Artemis HLS relevance. Key question: can Blue Origin scale cadence fast enough to compete with SpaceX's 165+ flights per year?
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The Conversation ·
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket landed its booster on a barge at seaExpert analysis of NG-2 booster recovery: the achievement establishes a second provider of partially reusable orbital launch, reducing launch market concentration. Compares Blue Origin's methodical approach to SpaceX's faster, more iterative development. Notes SpaceX is on pace for 165-170 launches in 2025 vs New Glenn's two.
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Blue Origin ·
New Glenn Launches NASA's ESCAPADE, Lands Fully Reusable BoosterOfficial Blue Origin press release on NG-2 full mission success: ESCAPADE twin spacecraft deployed to loiter orbit for Mars transit, and booster "Never Tell Me the Odds" landed on Jacklyn 375 miles offshore. CEO Dave Limp: "Never before in history has a booster this large nailed the landing on the second try." Sets up Blue Moon Mk1 lunar lander mission in 2026.
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NASASpaceFlight ·
Blue Origin launches ESCAPADE on New Glenn, successfully lands first stage boosterNSF technical coverage of NG-2: New Glenn's 7 BE-4 engines ignited nominally, payload deployed to designated MEO loiter orbit, and GS-1 booster executed a successful barge landing — only the second such feat in history after SpaceX's Falcon family. ESCAPADE spacecraft built on Rocket Lab Photon heritage; will begin Mars transit in fall 2026 when planets align.
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Veenie.Space Telemetry
Blue Origin's second New Glenn flight on November 13, 2025 achieved full mission success: the ESCAPA