Blue Origin's New Glenn explodes on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral on May 28, 2026. @JConcilus via AP Going straight up is hard. It takes a lot of energy. For those of us who enjoy hiking, cycling or running, hills are the bane of our existence. The hills sap us of our strength and speed, and they require more effort than we often want to expend. Rockets are the ultimate definition of vertical ascent: They go up, fast. They need lots of raw power, and they need it immediately. Interestingly, t