Finally launched: Exploration of the Red Planet begins

The rocket, carrying a pair of satellites on a long journey toward Mars, was launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Center at 4 p.m. local time, CNN reported.

Both satellites are expected to enter Mars’ orbit in September 2027.

At the same time, the company successfully returned the rocket’s first stage to Earth, landing it on a sea platform. This represents a major advancement in efforts to make the new New Glenn rocket partially reusable, reducing costs and making it more competitive with SpaceX rockets by Elon Musk.

The rocket was originally scheduled to launch as part of the Escapade mission on Sunday, but the launch was delayed due to clouds.

CNN notes that New Glenn was first launched in January.

The satellites carried by the rocket this time will conduct measurements of Mars’ upper atmosphere and magnetosphere, while a team of scientists from the University of California, Berkeley will study the atmospheric data—a true scientific mission of the Escapade project.