Founded 25 years ago by Bezos, Blue Origin has been launching paying passengers to the edge of space since 2021, including himself. The short hops from Texas use smaller rockets named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard. New Glenn, which honors John Glenn, is five times taller.

Thirty storeys tall with a reusable first stage filled with liquid oxygen and methane, New Glenn launched around 2 a.m. ET from Blue Origin's launchpad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.