Key Points
- Blue Origin postponed the second launch of its New Glenn rocket on Sunday due to bad weather.
- The launch was intended to send two NASA satellites on a mission to Mars.
- The next launch window is uncertain, complicated by a new FAA order related to the government shutdown.
- This was the second flight for the long-delayed New Glenn, and Blue Origin plans to attempt another reusable booster landing.
Blue Origin has pushed back the second flight of its New Glenn rocket. The launch, which was scheduled for Sunday afternoon, was supposed to send two NASA spacecraft on the first leg of their journey to Mars. The heavy-lift rocket was set to take off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 2:45 PM ET, but bad weather caused multiple delays. Blue Origin officially called off the launch attempt at around 4:13 PM.
It’s not yet clear when the next launch opportunity will be. Blue Origin had a backup slot for Monday afternoon, but a new problem has arisen: the FAA has issued an emergency order restricting commercial launches due to the government shutdown.
As of November 10, commercial space launches are permitted only between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM. In its statement on Sunday, Blue Origin said it was looking at new opportunities based on the weather and did not mention the FAA’s order.
The New Glenn rocket has faced major delays since it was first announced a decade ago. It finally made its first flight earlier this year. The rocket’s first stage booster is designed to be reusable, and the company plans to recover it after this upcoming launch by landing it on a barge named “Jacklyn.” Blue Origin tried this during its first flight but was unsuccessful.
The payload on this New Glenn flight consists of two satellites built by Rocket Lab. UC Berkeley will operate them for NASA’s Escapade mission, which will study the effects of space weather on Mars. The satellites will take a new route to the red planet, staying in a “lazy, 12-month kidney bean-shaped orbit” around Earth until Mars is in the right position. The Escapade mission is expected to reach Mars in 2027.
