Blue Origin’s 320-foot-tall New Glenn rocket is on track for its second launch, with the test flight expected to occur just a few months away. The first launch lifted off from Florida’s Space Coast in January and successfully carried its payload, a test version of Blue Ring spacecraft platform, into Earth orbit.
However, the landing sequence on the booster did not go as planned, with the engine failing to stick its landing on a ship at sea. Despite this setback, Blue Origin has identified the likely cause of the issue and is making changes to increase the chances of success in the next attempt.
According to CEO Dave Limp, the modifications are minor and won’t delay the launch. The company plans to fly late spring and has commercial customers lined up for flights starting from Flight 4. New Glenn can carry 50 tons of payload to low Earth orbit and is expected to play a significant role in Blue Origin’s spaceflight operations.
The exact payload for the second launch remains unknown, but Blue Origin is “still looking for opportunities.” The company views the first three launches as developmental flights, with commercial customers joining from Flight 4 onwards. With these plans in motion, fans of private spaceflight are eagerly awaiting news of Blue Origin’s next move.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-targeting-late-spring-for-2nd-launch-of-powerful-new-glenn-rocket