Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has canceled the launch of its New Glenn rocket due to technical problems. The attempt to reach orbit and compete with SpaceX has been delayed by at least a day, although due to the high stakes and high risk of the mission, the break could be much longer.
The 98-meter New Glenn rocket at Cape Canaveral was scheduled to launch on Monday morning. However, at the end of the countdown, the company announced the postponement of the launch due to the occurrence of “several anomalies”.
“We are canceling today's launch attempt to resolve a problem with the vehicle's subsystem,” Blue Origin said on the X website.
This is the second failed attempt to debut the New Glenn rocket. The first attempt was made on January 10, but the start was thwarted by unfavorable weather conditions.
Reaching the spacecraft to its intended orbit during the rocket's inaugural launch would be a rare achievement for a space company.
“If we could do this, it would be a great success,” Bezos said, as quoted by Reuters. He added that “landing the rocket would be the icing on the cake.”
Race with Elon Musk
The 98-meter-long, two-section vehicle was designed to carry large loads into space – it can carry 45 tons at one time. What sets it apart from its SpaceX competitors is the design of the payload fairing, a system that protects the equipment being transported. It is wide, which allows larger payloads to be placed into orbit.
During the first mission, Blue Origin wants to take advantage of this feature by launching the Blue Ring Pathfinder platform into orbit. This system will help repair and refuel other satellites in the future. Although the equipment will remain connected to the rocket during the first flight, it will eventually be able to maneuver in space, and the solar panels will keep it powered.
Three general managers oversaw the development of New Glenn, and the project encountered numerous delays. Late last year Jeff Bezos accelerated work at Blue Origin, prioritizing the development of the rocket.
Main photo source: x.com/blueorigin