Blue Origin Wants to Land Rockets on a Floating Platform, Too

Blue Origin today unveiled a video demonstrating takeoff and landing procedures for its New Glenn rocket. Feel like you've seen this act before? You're not alone; the process looks very similar to the maneuvers performed by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on its trips to space. The short presentation shows the rocket lifting off, delivering a payload to orbit and touching back down on an oceanic barge. From the neat flip the rocket performs on the way down to the barge landing, Blue Origins appears to be following in the footsteps of Elon Musk and company. While the New Glenn isn't predicted to launch until 2020, it will be used to deliver some of Blue Origin's first payloads to orbit, powered by seven BE-4 engines. The launchpad appears to be the LC-36 pad the company plans to use for future missions, and their upcoming manufacturing facility is visible in the foreground ...