Blue Origin postponed the second launch of its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday due to weather, launch pad equipment issues, and a cruise ship in the flight path, rescheduling for November 12.
The company confirmed late Sunday that the next launch attempt is set for Wednesday, November 12. Following recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restrictions on space launches, Blue Origin collaborated with the FAA to secure approval for the new attempt, which has a launch window from 2:50 p.m. ET to 4:17 p.m. ET.
This mission holds significance for Blue Origin, particularly for demonstrating full rocket reusability. The New Glenn booster successfully reached orbit during its initial January flight but exploded prior to landing on a drone ship. Blue Origin aims to achieve a successful booster landing for the first time during this second mission.
This launch also marks New Glenn’s inaugural commercial mission. The rocket will transport NASA’s ESCAPADE spacecraft for a mission to Mars. Additionally, New Glenn carries a technology demonstrator for Viasat, part of another NASA project. Demonstrating New Glenn’s capability to deliver payloads reliably and cost-effectively, largely through reusability, is essential for Blue Origin’s competitive standing against SpaceX.
Blue Origin had initially planned this second launch earlier in the year but experienced multiple delays. Sunday’s launch window, which began at 2:45 p.m. ET and spanned approximately 90 minutes, was affected by weather concerns and issues with launch pad equipment. A cruise ship entered the flight path minutes before an attempt, though it was expected to clear prior to the 4:15 p.m. ET window closure, the ongoing weather concerns ultimately led to the scrub.
