Nasa astronaut Don Pettit recently shared a photograph taken from the International Space Station (ISS), capturing the trail left by the New Glenn rocket.
Launched on January 16, 2025, this mission marked the debut of the heavy-lift rocket, which has been in development since the early 2010s. Blue Origin successfully achieved most of its objectives, with the primary success being the second stage of New Glenn, equipped with a prototype of the Blue Ring satellite platform, reaching its intended orbit.
The second stage of New Glenn is visible in Pettit’s photograph as a faint streak crossing brighter star trails diagonally from the lower right to the upper left corner. Pettit noted that capturing the image was challenging, requiring a four-minute exposure. At the start of the imaging, the ISS was positioned over Oklahoma, and by the end, it was above the central Gulf of Mexico.
As for the first stage of New Glenn, it attempted to land on a barge but was lost shortly after initiating its braking maneuver. Blue Origin has yet to provide details regarding the cause of the incident.
The loss of the stage necessitates an investigation by Blue Origin in accordance with the regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA must approve the final report and any corrective actions before allowing New Glenn launches to resume. This is a standard procedure; SpaceX underwent a similar process last year following an unsuccessful landing of one of its Falcon 9 first stages.