Blue Origin scrubs second New Glenn launch, will try again November 12

Blue Origin Postpones Second Launch of New Glenn Mega-Rocket

Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, made the decision to postpone the second launch of its New Glenn mega-rocket scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The delay was attributed to concerns regarding weather conditions, minor issues with launch pad equipment, and the presence of a cruise ship that strayed too close to the intended flight path.

The company announced that a new launch attempt is set for Wednesday, November 12, after collaborating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to navigate restrictions imposed during the recent government shutdown. The launch window is scheduled to open at 2:50 p.m. ET and will remain open until 4:17 p.m. ET.

Significance of the Mission

The upcoming mission holds significant importance for Blue Origin on various fronts. Firstly, it serves as a crucial step in validating the full reusability of the New Glenn rocket. While the initial launch in January successfully reached orbit, the booster encountered issues during its landing attempt. Blue Origin aims to achieve a successful booster landing during this second flight.

Additionally, this mission marks the debut of New Glenn in commercial space operations. The rocket is tasked with transporting NASA’s ESCAPADE spacecraft to facilitate a mission to Mars. Furthermore, New Glenn carries a technology demonstrator for Viasat as part of a collaborative NASA project. Demonstrating the rocket’s capability to deliver payloads to space efficiently and cost-effectively, primarily through reusability, is pivotal for Blue Origin in its competition with SpaceX, led by Elon Musk.

Challenges and Delays

The second launch of New Glenn faced multiple delays earlier this year, with Sunday’s attempt in Cape Canaveral, Florida experiencing setbacks related to weather conditions and launch pad equipment issues. Despite initial plans for a 2:45 p.m. ET launch window, the timing had to be adjusted several times due to these challenges.

Just moments before the scheduled launch, a cruise ship entered the flight path, posing a potential hazard. Although projections indicated the ship would clear the area before the end of the launch window at 4:15 p.m. ET, persistent weather concerns prompted Blue Origin to call off the launch attempt.