Blue Origin Postpones New Glenn Rocket Launch Due to Subsystem Issue

Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, Blue Origin, has announced a delay for the initial launch of its New Glenn orbital rocket. This postponement, occurring early on Monday, is linked to an unspecified problem within one of the rocket’s subsystems.

Such delays are not uncommon in the world of space travel, yet this specific holdup casts further uncertainty on the much-awaited launch schedule. According to space correspondent Eric Berger, Blue Origin's team was well into the launch countdown. Given the situation, it might take at least 48 hours for Blue Origin to prepare New Glenn for another launch attempt.

Complicating matters, weather conditions in the Atlantic are forecasted to deteriorate. Blue Origin plans to recover New Glenn’s booster via a drone ship—a method pioneered by SpaceX for recovering the Falcon 9 rockets.

The New Glenn rocket is pivotal for Blue Origin as it aims to challenge SpaceX's dominance in the heavy-lift space market. Until now, Blue Origin has focused on sub-orbital flights with its smaller New Shepard rocket, catering primarily to space tourism and scientific research. New Glenn is anticipated to open new commercial avenues for Blue Origin, which already holds contracts to transport payloads for significant partners like NASA, the Space Force, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

Preparation for the New Glenn launch has been underway for weeks. The 320-foot rocket was moved to its Cape Canaveral, Florida launch site on January 9, with plans initially set for a January 12 liftoff. However, over the past weekend, Blue Origin incrementally adjusted this schedule to enhance the odds of safely recovering its booster.

The planned three-hour launch window began at 1AM ET on January 13. Blue Origin successfully fueled the rocket, but a persistent issue within an undefined subsystem led to multiple launch delays before the company called off the attempt altogether. Sources indicated that the issue was related to ice blocking a venting line critical for gas removal from the rocket.

Blue Origin's stated objective for New Glenn's first flight is simply to "reach orbit safely," considering any additional achievements as a bonus. If successful in attaining orbit, New Glenn will deliver a prototype of its Blue Ring spacecraft, envisioned as part of a broader space economy infrastructure.