Blue Origin's Jacklyn Barge Arrives in Florida

Blue Origin's newly constructed landing platform, named Jacklyn after founder Jeff Bezos' mother, arrived at Port Canaveral, Florida, on September 4. This barge, designed specifically for the New Glenn rocket, will facilitate at-sea landings of its first stage, similar to SpaceX's droneships. The New Glenn rocket is scheduled for its maiden flight on October 13, launching NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Jacklyn is notable for its size, measuring 380 feet long and 150 feet wide, and was custom-built in Romania and France. Blue Origin aims to establish a reusable rocket system, with Jacklyn supporting the rocket's recovery and refurbishment for multiple launches. The arrival of Jacklyn signifies a growing presence of sea-based space operations at Port Canaveral, which currently hosts various space-related vessels.