The chief executive of Blue Origin, whose large New Glenn rocket exploded spectacularly less than a week ago at the company\u2019s launch site in Florida, vowed Monday night that the company would launch again before the end of 2026.<\/p>\n
Writing on the social media site X, Blue Origin\u2019s Dave Limp said the company had been able to complete a preliminary survey of the LC-36A launch site.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that we\u2019ve had access to the pad and integration facility, we can share a bit of good news,\u201d Limp said. \u201cThe propellant farm, oxygen, liquid hydrogen and LNG tanks are all in good shape. This is good luck because these are very long lead items. The water tower is also good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Limp also confirmed that the company would press ahead with a rebuild of the LC-36A site, which is designed for the 7\u00d72 variant of the New Glenn rocket. One option had been to focus on building a larger pad next door, at LC-36B, capable of supporting the larger 9\u00d74 variant of the rocket (the nine and four, respectively, refer to the number of engines in the first and second stage of the rocket).<\/p>\n
Notably, Limp also said Blue Origin had a plan to replace the massive transporter-erector that moves the New Glenn rocket from its nearby integration hangar out to the launch pad. This was damaged beyond repair during the test failure on Thursday, May 28.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had already been working for some time on eliminating our transporter-erector in favor of an alternative vertical conop, and we\u2019ll now go directly to that; so we don\u2019t need a new transporter-erector,\u201d Limp wrote. \u201cWe will fly again before the end of this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
With this update, Limp has answered some of the key questions Blue Origin faced in the aftermath of Thursday\u2019s dramatic failure. Most significantly, the company intends to rebuild the damaged launch site and return to flight as rapidly as possible with the 7\u00d72 variant of the New Glenn booster that had previously performed very well. With this aggressive timeline\u2014about six months\u2014the company may also be indicating a desire to limit discussion of launching its Blue Moon lander on the Falcon Heavy rocket built by its competitor, SpaceX.<\/p>\n
,<\/p>\n
Still, this is a risky move for Blue Origin, and especially for NASA. A six-month timeline to return to flight is very optimistic. The LC-36A site will need serious rework, from its concrete foundation on up. Some of these materials require fairly long lead times, and it\u2019s not clear that the company has the personnel needed\u2014particularly the touch-labor technicians, welders, and others who build this specialized launch hardware. Historically, Blue Origin has not operated in such a rushed manner, either.<\/p>\n
Multiple sources said a more realistic timeline for Blue Origin to rebuild its pad and launch from there is 12 to 18 months. If this were to occur, it would significantly set back NASA and its Artemis Program, which is relying on the New Glenn rocket and Blue Moon lander for both cargo and eventually crewed missions to the lunar surface.<\/p>\n
But Blue Origin does have some important advantages. During a visit to the company last Friday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told Limp and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos that he is \u201call in\u201d on supporting the company\u2019s efforts. So, too, is the US Space Force, which manages the launch range at Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is likely that Blue Origin will receive expedited reviews and other federal support as needed. This is a big boon.<\/p>\n
In his message, Limp did not specify the cause of the failure, but speculation has focused on one of the first stage\u2019s main engines failing during a static fire test. This quickly ruptured the first and then second stage of the rocket.<\/p>\n
This is perhaps the least interesting part of the story, though. New Glenn has already flown three times, and across that rocket and the Vulcan vehicle it also powers, the BE-4 engine has a fine track record. Blue Origin should be able to identify the cause of the failure and get the rocket flying safely again. The challenge is finding somewhere to launch it from.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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