Can Jeff Bezos match Elon Musk in space?
After 25 years, Blue Origin finally heads to orbit, and hopes to become a contender in the private space race
IT HAS BEEN a long time coming. Assuming there are no last-minute delays, then in the next few days Blue Origin, a firm run by Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, will make the first launch of its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida. If everything goes smoothly, then almost a quarter of a century after it was founded, Blue Origin will reach orbit for the first time—and the private space industry may have another contender.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Bolt from the blue”
Cancer vaccines are showing promise at last
Trials are under way against skin, brain and lung tumours
New firefighting tech is being trialled in Sardinia’s ancient forests
It could sniff out blazes long before they spread out of control
Why some doctors are reassessing hypnosis
There is growing evidence that it can help with pain, depression and more
Academic writing is getting harder to read—the humanities most of all
We analyse two centuries of scholarly work
Giving children the wrong (or not enough) toys may doom a society
Survival is a case of child’s play
Earth is warming faster. Scientists are closing in on why
Paradoxically, cleaner emissions from ships and power plants are playing a role