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Some things just come full circle. In 1962, a no-nonsense test pilot with a gleaming bald head and steely determination strapped himself into a Mercury capsule and became the first American to orbit Earth. Now, 62 years later, another bald maverick with that same unwavering grit just launched a 322-foot rocket bearing Glenn's name straight into orbit - and did it on the first try.
Jeff Bez by Frank
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 20, 2025
Some things just come full circle. In 1962, a no-nonsense test pilot with a gleaming bald head and steely determination strapped himself into a Mercury capsule and became the first American to orbit Earth. Now, 62 years later, another bald maverick with that same unwavering grit just launched a 322-foot rocket bearing Glenn's name straight into orbit - and did it on the first try.
Jeff Bezos, like Glenn before him, isn't one for flash and dazzle. Sure, he might don a cowboy hat after a successful space flight (a nod to that old-school Western American spirit), but underneath that hat is the same quiet determination that marked Glenn's era of spaceflight. No pretension, just steady resolve and a willingness to weather the storms of doubt. And there were storms.
For twelve long years, critics pelted Blue Origin with skepticism as the New Glenn rocket slowly - oh so slowly - took shape. "Too cautious," they said. "Too slow," they muttered. Meanwhile, Bezos kept his head down and his team focused, channeling that same methodical precision that Glenn brought to his missions.
After all, when you're sitting atop thousands of gallons of rocket fuel, "slow and careful" starts to sound pretty good. This isn't about beating anyone to anywhere. It's about doing things right, about proving that patience and persistence still have a place in the space race.
When Musk tipped his hat with a congratulatory tweet, Bezos's emoji response wasn't just brief - it was pure Glenn-era cool. No grandiose statements needed when the rocket does the talking.
Just like his namesake rocket, Bezos plays the long game. Look at his drone delivery project - eleven years in development and still counting.
Critics scoff, but that's the same kind of patience that put John Glenn in orbit when others were still figuring out how to get off the pad.
The parallels are almost poetic: two bare-headed pioneers, generations apart, sharing that quintessential American trait of quiet perseverance. While others rush to make headlines, they focus on making history.
Glenn did it with slide rules and guts; Bezos does it with computers and billions - but the spirit remains the same. Spring will bring another launch attempt, and this time they'll try to stick the landing on that floating pad named after Bezos's mother.
Because that's another thing Glenn and Bezos share - they know that space exploration is about family, about legacy, about pushing boundaries not just for yourself but for everyone who comes after.
Keep pushing, Jeff. John Glenn would recognize that look in your eye - the one that says sometimes the boldest move is taking your time to get it right.
After all, space isn't going anywhere, but now New Glenn sure is.
Frank Genin, Author of ASTROPOLITICS 3.0 - REALITY CHECK. E-Book and Paperback and soon in Audio format on Audible
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