LOS ANGELES, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Blue Origin's massive new rocket New Glenn completed a critical test on Monday, according to the company.
New Glenn's second stage successfully completed a risk reduction hotfire test, a milestone on its road to first flight, scheduled for launch in November, Blue Origin said in a release.
The hotfire lasted 15 seconds and marked the first time Blue Origin operated the vehicle as an integrated system.
The purpose of the hotfire test was to validate interactions between the subsystems on the second stage, its two engines, and the ground control systems, according to the company.
In addition to testing flight hardware, the hotfire test was also an opportunity for the launch operations team to practice launch day procedures on console and verify timing for a number of critical operations, according to Blue Origin.
New Glenn's second stage, roughly 26.8 meters tall with a diameter of 7 meters, is designed for demanding, highly energetic missions to low Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit, and geosynchronous orbit.
The first flight of New Glenn is targeted for later in 2024, with NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars as its payload, marking a significant milestone for Blue Origin in launching satellites and contributing to space exploration. ■