Blue Origin Delays Launch of Glenn Mega-Rocket

Blue Origin Delays New Glenn’s Inaugural Orbital Launch

Jeff Bezos’ space exploration company, Blue Origin, has postponed the initial launch of its New Glenn rocket. The delay occurred early Monday morning due to an unidentified problem within one of the vehicle’s systems.

Launch Timing Now Uncertain

Delays are a common occurrence in the spaceflight industry. However, this setback casts doubt on the launch schedule for this highly anticipated mission. Sources indicate that Blue Origin will likely require a minimum of 48 hours to prepare the rocket for another launch attempt.

Furthermore, deteriorating weather conditions are predicted in the Atlantic Ocean this week. Blue Origin intends to recover New Glenn’s booster using a drone ship, a technique similar to that employed by SpaceX with its Falcon 9 rockets.

Significance of New Glenn

The successful deployment of New Glenn is vital for Blue Origin’s ambitions. The company aims to compete in the heavy-lift launch market, currently led by SpaceX.

Until now, Blue Origin’s focus has been on sub-orbital space tourism and scientific research using the smaller New Shepard rocket. New Glenn is expected to open up new avenues for business, with existing contracts for payload delivery to NASA, the Space Force, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and other entities.

Recent Preparations and Setbacks

Blue Origin had been preparing for the launch of New Glenn for several weeks. The 320-foot-tall rocket was moved to its launchpad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 9th.

Initially, the launch was scheduled for January 12th. However, the company adjusted the target date to January 13th to improve the chances of a successful booster landing.

Troubleshooting and Launch Abort

New Glenn’s three-hour launch window opened at 1 a.m. ET on January 13th. Propellant was loaded into the rocket, but the team encountered difficulties while addressing the unspecified subsystem issue.

The launch time was repeatedly postponed before the decision was made to abort the attempt. Reports suggest the issue stemmed from ice obstructing a line responsible for venting gas from the rocket.

Mission Objectives

Blue Origin has stated that the primary objective of New Glenn’s first launch is to “reach orbit safely.” Any additional achievements will be considered a bonus.

If New Glenn successfully reaches orbit, it will carry a demonstrator of the Blue Ring spacecraft. Blue Origin envisions Blue Ring as a foundational element for a broader space-based economy.