Rocket Returned, Lightly Used: Why Blue Origin's Landed New Glenn Booster Is so Clean

Rocket returned, lightly used: Why Blue Origin's landed New Glenn booster is so clean

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket remained strikingly clean and white after two trips through Earth's atmosphere last week. Here's why the booster stayed largely char-free.

New Glenn Booster Returns to Blue Origin's Cape Canaveral Facility After Historic Landing

Photo Credit: Eric A. Moore/FMN A Milestone Journey Home Less than a week after completing its first successful drone-ship landing on November 13, 2025, Blue Origin’s New Glenn booster made its overland return today, November 20, to the company’s Cape Canaveral facility. The recovered first stage—scorched from reentry and wrapped in protective coverings—arrived at Port Canaveral earlier in the week before beginning this mornings carefully coordi…