Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000, has called off its second attempt to launch the 30-story New Glenn rocket. The company initially planned to launch the vehicle early Monday but decided to delay it after finding a technical issue with the rocket.
After 16 hours of silence, Blue Origin announced that it would make a second attempt during a three-hour launch window on Tuesday. However, just two hours later, they reversed their plan and will now attempt the launch on Thursday, January 16.
The company did not specify why it changed its plans, but it warned that unfavorable weather conditions at the takeoff site might lead to another scrub. Blue Origin revealed that a “purge line” issue with an auxiliary power unit caused the problem during the previous launch attempt.
A smooth inaugural liftoff for New Glenn is crucial as it will allow the company to gather data and pave the way for the rocket to enter the global launch market. The competition in spaceflight is heating up, with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket set to launch a lunar lander on Wednesday, followed by the seventh test flight of its Starship rocket also on Wednesday.
The New Glenn launch has significant implications as it aims to send satellites to orbit, challenging SpaceX’s dominance in the launch market. With this ambitious goal, Blue Origin is pushing forward with its development program.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/13/science/new-glenn-blue-origin-rocket-launch-attempt/index.html