Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, has postponed its second attempt to launch the New Glenn rocket, a vehicle standing 30 stories tall. Originally planned for early Monday, the launch was called off due to a technical issue that needed to be resolved.
After approximately 16 hours without any updates, Blue Origin announced via social media that a second attempt could occur during a three-hour launch window beginning at 1 a.m. ET on Tuesday. However, the company subsequently declared it would not proceed with the overnight launch and has rescheduled for no earlier than Thursday, January 16. This revised plan retains the same morning launch window.
While the specific reasons for the change were not disclosed initially, Blue Origin had previously warned that the weather conditions at the launch site could affect their ability to proceed. In a later update, the company confirmed that the earlier scrubbing of the launch was caused by ice formations in a purge line on an auxiliary power unit, which is critical for powering certain hydraulic systems on the rocket.
Ariane Cornell, Blue Origin’s Vice President of In-Space Systems, explained that the launch would be delayed to ensure that the necessary troubleshooting on the affected subsystem could be completed. The countdown had even progressed to under 10 minutes before liftoff when more time was added for engineers to resolve the issues. Ultimately, they were unable to fix the anomalies before the launch window closed.
The successful inaugural flight of the New Glenn rocket is essential for Blue Origin, which is positioning itself to compete in the competitive global launch industry dominated by SpaceX. This rocket is pivotal for the company’s goals of sending satellites into orbit.
Interestingly, as Blue Origin navigates its challenges, the upcoming week is filled with significant space activities, including a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch carrying two lunar landers and the seventh test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, both set to take place from the Kennedy Space Center.
This turn of events highlights both the intricacies involved in spaceflight and the relentless pursuit of innovation in the aerospace sector. Despite the setbacks, the focus on safety and reliability is crucial, and Blue Origin’s adjustments reaffirm its commitment to ensuring a successful and safe launch. As the space landscape continues to evolve, the anticipation builds for both Blue Origin’s New Glenn and SpaceX’s next steps, underscoring a vibrant future for commercial space exploration.