Blue Origin Delays New Glenn Return to Flight to January 2027 After Pad Explosion
Jeff Bezos' space company pushed back its flagship rocket's next launch as it rebuilds the Cape Canaveral pad damaged in a May hot-fire test explosion.
At a glance
- Blue Origin delayed New Glenn's return to flight to January 2027, later than its end-of-2026 target.
- CEO Dave Limp cited launchpad reconstruction delays and bad summer weather in a memo to employees.
- A May hot-fire test explosion badly damaged the Cape Canaveral pad days before a planned 48-satellite Amazon Leo launch.
Blue Origin has pushed the return to flight of its New Glenn rocket to January 2027, later than its earlier target of the end of this year, as the company works to rebuild the Florida launchpad damaged in a May explosion.
CEO Dave Limp told employees in a memo on Wednesday that the schedule slipped because of delays in reconstructing the pad at Cape Canaveral, including bad weather over the summer. The Financial Times first reported the memo, which was viewed by CNBC.
"This small adjustment doesn't diminish what we've accomplished or the importance of the work still ahead," Limp wrote. "Returning New Glenn to flight remains our top priority — it's worth it."
A person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named because the matter is internal, told CNBC the January 2027 time frame is about 10 days later than Blue Origin's previous launch target.
What happened to the launchpad
The New Glenn explosion occurred during a hot-fire test in May and badly damaged the company's Florida launch facility. Blue Origin had been scheduled to deploy 48 satellites for Amazon's Leo internet-from-space service just days later.
Since then, the company has moved quickly to repair the site and reworked its pad configuration. Bezos told Fox News last month that Blue Origin still expected New Glenn to fly again in December.
Limp said recovery work had progressed well but acknowledged that "rebuilding at this pace hasn't been easy."
"Your collective work on our return to flight has been nothing short of remarkable," he wrote. "In just six months, Team Blue has accomplished what many thought would take years."
Pressure on launch cadence
The mishap came at an awkward time. Blue Origin has been trying to increase its launch rate to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX for commercial and government customers.
The New Glenn delays have slowed Amazon's Leo constellation buildout, which depends on Blue Origin for part of its launches. Amazon has turned to other providers in the interim, including United Launch Alliance and Arianespace, particularly as SpaceX has phased out Falcon 9 launches to prioritise testing its Starship rocket.
NASA has also awarded Blue Origin several contracts under its Artemis return-to-the-moon programme, including a lunar lander.
Blue Origin announced new investments in its Florida launch facilities last month, with the goal of supporting multiple flights per week by the end of the decade.
Source: CNBC Top News.
Questions and answers
- When will Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket fly again?
- Blue Origin has targeted January 2027 for New Glenn's return to flight, about 10 days later than its previous target, according to a person familiar with the matter.
- Why was the New Glenn launch delayed?
- CEO Dave Limp said the schedule slipped due to delays rebuilding the Cape Canaveral launchpad damaged in a May explosion, including bad weather over the summer.
- How does the delay affect Amazon's Leo satellites?
- The New Glenn delays have hampered Amazon's Leo constellation buildout, and Amazon has turned to United Launch Alliance and Arianespace in the interim.
