
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Blue Origin's powerful New Glenn rocket had a very big day on Thursday (Nov. 13), and a new video lets us all relive part of it.
New Glenn launched for the second time ever on Thursday afternoon, successfully sending NASA's twin ESCAPADE Mars probes into the final frontier from Florida's Space Coast.
But that wasn't all. The two-stage rocket's huge first stage came back to Earth as planned, acing a landing on "Jacklyn," Blue Origin's drone ship, which was stationed about 375 miles (604 kilometers) offshore.
Previously, only one company had ever pulled off this dramatic maneuver — SpaceX, which has pioneered the recovery and reuse of orbital rockets.
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos celebrated the New Glenn landing on X, posting several videos of the 188-foot-tall (57 meters) booster steering its way through the sky toward Jacklyn.
One video showed the landing itself, during which the booster sidled over to Jacklyn rather than drop directly onto it from above.
"We nominally target a few hundred feet away from Jacklyn to avoid a severe impact if engines fail to start or start slowly," Bezos wrote in the Friday morning (Nov. 14) X post that featured this video. "We’ll incrementally reduce that conservatism over time. We are all excited and grateful for yesterday. Amazing performance by the team! Gradatim Ferociter."
(Gradatim Ferociter, Latin for "Step by Step, Ferociously," is Blue Origin's motto.)
Blue Origin named the first stage that flew on Thursday "Never Tell Me the Odds," a nod to the perceived improbability of a successful touchdown.
"It turns out 'Never Tell Me The Odds' had perfect odds — never before in history has a booster this large nailed the landing on the second try," Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said in a company statement. "This is just the beginning as we rapidly scale our flight cadence and continue delivering for our customers."
Each New Glenn first stage is designed to fly at least 25 times, according to Blue Origin. "Never Tell Me the Odds" looks intact — startlingly clean, in fact — in post-landing photos, so don't be surprised to see the booster on the pad again before too much longer.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Bayer reports positive results for blood thinner after 2023 setback - 2
Ariana Grande says Eternal Sunshine 2026 tour will be her last for a 'long, long time': 'One last hurrah' - 3
Why is Jerome Powell being investigated? Making sense of the DOJ's probe into the Federal Reserve chair. - 4
Find the Keys to Fruitful Venture The board: Conveying Results on Time - 5
In these U.S. groups, deaths now exceed births. What’s happening?
Share your pick for the tree that you love for its novel magnificence!
British-Egyptian dissident apologises for tweets as Tories push for UK deportation
New Cheetos and Doritos will be free of artificial dyes
New law puts familiar drinks, creams and gummies in legal limbo
Tyler Childers' 'Snipe Hunt' 2026 Tour: How to get tickets, presale times, prices and more
Extreme Manual for Purchasing Your Next Truck
‘We are the alternative’: Anti-Hamas Gaza militia tells BBC group is receiving international support
Favored Chinese Dish: Make Your Determination
What are the health benefits of whole milk for kids?












