Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin Delays Inaugural New Glenn Launch from Cape Canaveral Due to Technical Issues

Jan 13, 2025, 03:47 PM

Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has postponed the inaugural launch of its 320-foot New Glenn rocket due to technical issues identified during the mission countdown. The launch, originally scheduled for early Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, was called off after the company encountered unspecified anomalies. The New Glenn rocket, named after astronaut John Glenn, was set to compete with SpaceX in the satellite launch market. The rocket was carrying a prototype of Blue Origin's Blue Ring vehicle, intended for future national security and satellite servicing missions. Blue Origin has not set a new launch date, stating that the team needs more time to resolve the problem. The delay comes after the company had already pushed back the launch twice due to rough seas that posed risks to the planned landing of the rocket's first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic. The rocket was set to undertake a six-hour test flight, reaching an altitude of roughly 20,000 km, with the first-stage booster landing attempt on the Jacklyn drone ship.