# The rocket lifted off at around 7.25am ET (12.25pm Irish time) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the booster touchdown happened about 10 minutes later.

*aerospace · news · 2026-04-20 · Independent.ie*

## Key points

- New Glenn successfully reused its booster, demonstrating reliability to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9.
- The booster, 'Never Tell Me the Odds,' was previously recovered from the NG-2 mission in November.
- Blue Origin plans to develop a larger New Glenn 9x4 variant announced in November.
- AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 carries the largest commercial communications array deployed in low-Earth orbit.
- BlueBird 7 is part of a constellation aiming to provide direct smartphone connectivity from space.

**Companies:** SpaceX, Blue Origin
**Countries:** United States, Ireland

[Read the full story on Independent.ie](https://www.independent.ie/world-news/north-america/blue-origin-achieves-first-landing-with-reused-rocket-booster-in-space-mission/a632969184.html)

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