Bezos' Blue Origin successfully launches New Glenn rocket into orbit

• The New Glenn's launch also notches a win for the company in its bid to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX in the space satellite business.

The big picture: "We're thrilled with today's outcome," Blue Origin said in a statement on X Thursday, noting that the launch achieved the company's primary objective of reaching orbit.

• The company conceded that the goal of landing the rocket's reusable first stage booster on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean failed, after the booster was lost during reentry.
• "We knew landing the first stage on the first try was ambitious. We'll learn, refine, and apply that knowledge to our next launch in the spring,"Blue Origin added.

State of play: The 320-foot New Glenn rocket is designed to be reusable.

• The engines and propellants powering the first stage of its flight are designed to last for at least 25 flights.
• The rocket could prove to be Blue Origin's answer to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, which was the world's first orbital-class reusable rocket, according to Space.

Go deeper: Blue Origin scraps debut launch of New Glenn rocket