A Glimpse into Blue Origin’s New Glenn Launch Delay
Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Jeff Bezos, recently encountered a delay with the launch of its first orbital rocket, New Glenn. Originally scheduled for liftoff early Monday morning, the launch was postponed due to an unspecified issue with one of the vehicle’s subsystems. In the world of spaceflight, such setbacks are not uncommon, yet they inevitably stir questions about the timing of this eagerly awaited event.
Countdown and Ocean Conditions
According to Eric Berger from Ars Technica, Blue Origin had progressed sufficiently into the countdown that at least 48 hours would be needed to reset the rocket for another attempt. Meanwhile, weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean are forecasted to deteriorate this week. This is particularly relevant as Blue Origin aims to land New Glenn’s booster on a drone ship, a technique reminiscent of how SpaceX successfully recovers its Falcon 9 rockets.
The Stakes for Blue Origin
The success of New Glenn’s launch is pivotal for Blue Origin as it seeks to penetrate the heavy-lift market—a domain currently dominated by SpaceX. Until now, Blue Origin has concentrated primarily on sub-orbital flights with its smaller New Shepard rocket, ferrying tourists and science experiments.
“New Glenn is supposed to help unlock new business for Blue Origin,”
{Eric Berger}
Indeed, Blue Origin has secured contracts to deliver payloads to space for prestigious clients like NASA, the Space Force, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
Launch Preparations and Setbacks
The preparation for New Glenn’s debut has been underway for several weeks. The impressive 320-foot-tall rocket was rolled out to its launchpad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 9. Initially targeting a launch on January 12, the date was postponed by a day over the weekend to increase chances of successfully landing its booster.
With a three-hour launch window commencing at 1 AM ET on January 13, the company managed to load propellant into New Glenn but was stymied by an unresolved subsystem issue. This led to multiple postponements before ultimately scrubbing the launch. Berger reported that ice clogging a line responsible for venting gas away from the rocket might have been the culprit.
The Mission’s Primary Goal
Blue Origin has emphasized that New Glenn’s primary mission objective is to “reach orbit safely,” and anything beyond this achievement would be considered “icing on the cake.” Should the mission succeed in reaching orbit, it will carry a demonstrator of its Blue Ring spacecraft—a vital component in their vision for building a larger space-based economy.
