Brevard Space Coast Launch Sites Rockets SpaceX ULA NASA
A quick look at which rockets will lift off from the various launch sites in Brevard.
It wasn’t a cruise ship that caused a stir at Port Canaveral. Instead, a sign that more rocket activity is soon to come to the Space Coast was visible on the water Thursday as people strolled toward the port’s restaurants.
Parked right next to SpaceX’s latest first stage, which was delivered by a drone ship, was a “simulator” of Blue Origin’s New Glenn first stage, providing an opportunity for a historic photo – and a taste of future space activities.
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According to Blue Origin, this mock rocket stage was used to test the first stage recovery process. A Blue Origin engineer told FLORIDA TODAY the “simulator” is called “The Iron Bird.”
Supported by a crane, the new white rocket simulator sat next to its smaller competitor on land. The New Glenn rocket is more than 320 feet tall when fully loaded, compared to 229.6 feet for the Falcon 9 – and the first stage is no exception. According to Blue Origin, the New Glenn’s first stage is a whopping 200 feet tall.
Looking at the two first-stage rockets, it is noticeable that New Glenn is also significantly wider than Falcon 9, which was barely recognizable due to its space flight tracks.
New Glenn, named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, is Blue Origin’s upcoming worker rocket that will carry payloads for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, NASA, Telesat and Eutelsa.
Blue Origin, a private space company founded by former Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos, hopes to launch its New Glenn orbital rocket for the first time by the end of the year. As with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, Blue Origin plans to reuse New Glenn’s first stage. This method of reusability saves space companies resources and can reduce launch costs.
After New Glenn hardware was spotted upright on the launch pad in late February and early March and increased activity at Blue Origin’s Merritt Island facility, the company shows no signs of slowing down in achieving its goal of launching later this year.
And the space news from Cape Canaveral isn’t going to stop anytime soon – this sight reached us the day Space Florida announced SpaceX’s plans to build three new rocket landing pads.
Brooke Edwards is a space reporter for Florida Today. Reach her at [email protected] or X: @brookeofstars.
