Understandably, the main building of Blue Origin’s sprawling campus in Florida buzzed with activity on Sunday evening as the final hours ticked down toward the company’s historic, first orbital launch. The time had come to celebrate a moment long awaited.
On one side of the large foyer, a multi-story print of the New Glenn rocket lit up on its launch pad hung from the wall. The striking image had been taken a day after Christmas, and put up in the lobby two days earlier. On the other side a massive replica of the company’s “Mk. 1” lunar lander towered over caterers bustling through.
My escort and I took the elevators to the upper floor, where a walkway overlooks the factory where Blue Origin builds the first and second stages of its New Glenn rocket. There I met the chief executive of the company, Dave Limp, as well as the person responsible for all of this activity.
