Watch Blue Origin's latest rocket launch to space and back. | Insider Science

Blue Origin, the space company owned by Jeff Bezos, has successfully launched its New Glenn rocket from Florida. The rocket was carrying two Nasa spacecraft deployed towards Mars. The Escapade satellites will take 22 months to reach Mars and will orbit the planet to measure its atmosphere and magnetic field. The reusable booster powering New Glenn also separated from the rocket's upper stage and touched down on a floating landing pad in the Atlantic Ocean, in a successful first for Blue Origin.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket took its first-ever flight on Thursday morning after a week full of delays. The mission marks a big step for Blue Origin as the company, founded by Jeff Bezos, seeks to advance its spaceflight technology and capabilities, poised to become competitive with SpaceX. The mission’s main goal was to get New Glenn to its intended orbit, which was a huge success, Blue Origin confirmed hours after the launch. The company made an attempt to recover the first-stage booster of