Blue Origin rolls out powerful New Glenn rocket for testing ahead of Mars launch

Blue Origin rolled out the first stage of its second New Glenn rocket to the Cape Canaveral launch pad on Wednesday in preparation for an upcoming liftoff.

The mission, expected late this month or in November, will carry NASA’s twin ESCAPADE probes to Mars to study the planet’s atmosphere and its interaction with solar wind.

Standing 320 feet tall when fully stacked, New Glenn features a reusable first stage similar to SpaceX’s Falcon rockets.

The rocket first flew in January on a test flight that reached orbit, though the first-stage landing at sea was unsuccessful, Space.com has reported.

On the same day, Blue Origin also completed its 15th human spaceflight using the New Shepard system, marking the company’s 36th overall launch of that vehicle.