Elon Musk isn’t the only billionaire with dreams of exploring the sky. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has similar aspirations — and the Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket is proof. Named for the late astronaut John Glenn, the rocket’s first BE-4 engine is complete. Powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane, seven of the engines will power the reusable first stage, while the second stage will use a single BE-4. After takeoff from Cape Canaveral, the first stage will rise high above the ground before separating from the second. The second stage then continues to deliver the payload to orbit, while the first stage returns to the ground, landing safely on a ship-mounted landing pad. The hope is by reusing the larger first stage costs will be reduced dramatically. New Glenn is scheduled to carry its first package into space in 2021.
