New Delhi, Jan 13 (NationPress) Blue Origin has once again delayed the launch of its colossal New Glenn rocket, marking the third consecutive postponement due to technical challenges.
The launch was originally set for January 10, then rescheduled to January 12, but was postponed due to rough offshore weather that could impact the rocket's landing on the company's recovery ship in the Atlantic.
Similar weather concerns were present for Monday's planned launch, with Space Force officials predicting a 50 percent chance of favorable conditions at launch time.
Two hours into the launch window, the company, founded by Jeff Bezos, announced the need to delay the liftoff.
“We’re standing down on today’s launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue that will extend beyond our launch window,” Blue Origin stated in a post on the social media platform X.
The company has yet to specify the next launch date, indicating that it is currently “reviewing opportunities.”
New Glenn’s inaugural mission (NG-1) serves as the company’s first National Security Space Launch certification flight.
The primary objective of this mission is to ensure a safe orbit, and it also aims for an ambitious booster landing in the Atlantic, marking the company’s first attempt offshore.
New Glenn will transport a payload called Blue Ring Pathfinder, which will evaluate key systems for the Defense Innovation Unit's Orbital Logistics programme.
In December, Blue Origin revealed that New Glenn had successfully completed a critical hot-fire test, marking the first test of the integrated launch vehicle.
Initially, New Glenn’s debut launch was targeted for 2020, but delays in the BE-4's development have caused multiple postponements.
Standing at 98 meters tall, equivalent to a 32-story building, New Glenn is recognized as the largest and most powerful rocket ever constructed and launched.
It is named in honor of NASA astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, who completed three orbits in 1962.
