The reusable rocket development from Blue Origin recently unveiled its latest progress to deliver this experience with its new "landing legs" for the New Glenn first-stage spacecraft. The company's latest revelation is showing off a different method of landing its rocket back to the planet, a key technological development to its plans of reusing the launch machine.
Its latest development is unlike that of SpaceX, particularly as its Falcon 9 uses three legs only, Starship on its rear, and the Super Heavy Booster using Mechazilla.
Blue Origin Unveils 'Landing Legs' for its Reusable Rocket, New Glenn
Blue Origin via X
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is now talking about its next-generation rocket, New Glenn, and its future landing capabilities, made possible by the "six landing legs" equipped with its first stage. A new video posted by the commercial space company via X demonstrated how the New Glenn's first stage landing legs would pop out when it is time to return to the surface.
The six landing legs of the New Glenn rocket are uniquely stowed in its body, and it will continue to do so during flight. When landing, these legs would deploy before it touches down to its "landing vessel at sea."
We recently completed New Glenn’s first stage test of its six landing legs—a key area for reusability, which lowers the cost of access to space. The landing gear stow inside the rocket during flight, deploying as the booster gently touches down on our landing vessel at sea. pic.twitter.com/3xUSUPDQyk
New Glenn's First Stage Rocket Landing is Not Like SpaceX's?
Not much was revealed by Blue Origin regarding New Glenn's landing legs or when the world would see its actual tests for its reusable capabilities. However, as per the company's latest explanation, it would have a similar method to SpaceX which uses landing legs that pop out from the rocket when it is needed, and would be targetting a sea-based vehicle which would be its landing spot.
In SpaceX's case, its drone ships have names, including Just Read the Instructions, A Short Fall of Gravitas, and Of Course I Still Love You.
Reusable Rocket Development in the Space Race
It is widely known that the company that popularized reusable rockets is none other than Elon Musk's SpaceX, particularly with its Dragon, Falcon, Starship, and Super Heavy Booster rockets that can all achieve this. One of the key features of being reusable is coming back to the planet and landing on the surface without any problems, ready for its next launch.
However, other companies are looking to catch up and eventually beat SpaceX in the modern and commercialized space developments in the industry. Blue Origin has its New Glenn rocket that has since been delayed, while French aerospace company, Arianespace has the SUSIE for the ESA, with Asia, also having one from JAXA and China developing this new machine.
SpaceX's previous missions have successfully demonstrated different methods of landing their rockets, including the use of catching machines like drone ships or Mechazilla's chopsticks, also with the old-fashioned move from Falcon 9's first stage and Starship's second stage.
Blue Origin will have a similar method to Falcon 9, with New Glenn's first stage featuring six legs for its landing and would be received by a sea-based landing vessel.
