Watch live: Blue Origin reusing New Glenn rocket stage for 1st time on April 19 launch
By Josh Dinner
Published on April 18, 2026.
Jeff Bezos' space company, Blue Origin, is set to launch its rocket, New Glenn, for the first time on April 19, using previously flown hardware. The mission, NG-3, will deliver BlueBird 7, a direct-to-cellphone internet satellite to (LEO), flying the same first-stage booster core that launched NG-2, but with new engines. This launch is a significant step towards the company's ultimate vision for the company’s reusable orbital rockets. The launch is scheduled for a two-hour window opening at 6:45 a.m. EDT (1045 GMT) on Sunday (April 19) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. If all goes according to plan, the rocket's first stage will separate from the upper part of the rocket about 3.5 minutes into flight, landing on Blue Origin's droneship, "Jacklyn," in the Atlantic Ocean around six minutes later. Blue Origin is relying on New Glenn for launch of its lander, one of two commercial vehicles selected to land astronauts on the agency's.
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