Blue Origin hopes New Glenn, named for space legend John Glenn, will make it safely to orbit for the inaugural test flight of a rocket that could rival Elon Musk's SpaceX fleet.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin will launch its first orbital rocket "no earlier than Friday", it said, a pivotal moment in the commercial space race currently dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Bezos' New Glenn and Musk's Starship both are heading for launch, and both could lift off in close timing to each other. Here's what we know.