Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Prepares for Launch
Blue Origin is speeding up preparations for the New Glenn rocket’s first launch, but there’s still plenty to do before it’s ready.
The company has reached several key milestones for the rocket’s debut at Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, aiming for a launch no earlier than October 13. On September 4, the ship named Jacklyn arrived at Port Canaveral to serve as a landing platform for the rocket’s first stage.
A day before that, Blue Origin rolled out the rocket’s second stage to the launch pad for a static-fire test. "We’re looking forward to firing up those two BE-3Us on New Glenn’s second stage in a few days," the company tweeted.
However, there are still many steps to complete before the first launch attempt. Although the final section of the first stage was integrated on August 27, the seven BE-4 engines have yet to be installed.
Dave Limp, Blue Origin’s CEO, acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying on social media that while there’s still a lot of work to do, progress is being made. He mentioned the static-fire test, the arrival of Jacklyn, and engine integration as important milestones.
Despite these hurdles, the team remains enthusiastic and motivated.
Sometimes, people just need to hear that they’re making progress, even if it’s slow.
One significant challenge is the tight schedule. The payload for the first New Glenn flight, NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars, has a narrow launch window. NASA announced that the window closes on October 21, meaning the mission must launch by then or wait two years for the next opportunity.
Initially, NASA didn’t disclose the closing date for the launch window when they announced the mission could launch as early as October 13.
NASA spokesperson Sarah Frazier directed questions about the launch window to Blue Origin, stating the company has oversight over the launch date due to their VADR contract. “The window depends on the spacecraft & mission characteristics as well as the capabilities of the rocket,” she said.
This approach differed from other NASA missions with limited launch windows, where the agency usually disclosed the duration. For instance, NASA long stated that the Europa Clipper mission on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy had a three-week launch window opening October 10.
Before NASA revealed the end date of the launch window on August 29, Blue Origin did not respond to questions about it.
Previously, NASA and others involved in the mission were vague about the launch date, often saying it would happen in the fall. In April, NASA’s planetary protection officer mentioned a placeholder date of September 29.
There’s skepticism within the industry about Blue Origin meeting the launch window, given the remaining tasks and the inherent challenges of a new rocket’s first launch. For example, the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur faced months of delays even after its static-fire test in June 2023.
Blue Origin has also encountered problems with other New Glenn hardware. Bloomberg reported that two upper stages for later flights were damaged in separate incidents, including one that burst during testing. The company hasn’t publicly commented on these issues or their impact on the inaugural launch.
If New Glenn isn’t ready by October 21, it’s unclear what payload will fly instead or what will happen to ESCAPADE.
ESCAPADE is part of NASA’s SIMPLEx program, which supports small, innovative missions. Another SIMPLEx mission, Janus, lost its ride due to delays in the larger Psyche mission. NASA decided to store the completed smallsats but is now exploring alternative missions for them.
