Blue Origin, the private space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has postponed the much-anticipated maiden launch of its New Glenn heavy-lift rocket. Originally set to take off in the early hours of Friday, Jan. 10, the launch was delayed by two days due to adverse weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean, where the rocket’s first stage is slated to land.
Credit: Blue Origin
The launch is now scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 12, at 1:00 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) from Blue Origin’s pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The event will be streamed live, giving space enthusiasts a front-row seat to witness history in the making.
In a statement posted on social media on Jan. 9, Blue Origin explained the decision: “We’re shifting our NG-1 launch date to no earlier than January 12 due to a high sea state in the Atlantic where we hope to land our booster. Our three-hour window remains the same, opening Sunday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC).”
A Towering Achievement
The New Glenn rocket, named after astronaut John Glenn, is Blue Origin’s first orbital-class vehicle and a significant milestone for the company. Towering at an impressive 320 feet (98 meters), the rocket is designed for heavy-lift missions and features a reusable first stage. This stage is intended to return to Earth after launch and land on a barge named Jacklyn, a heartfelt tribute to Jeff Bezos’ mother.
Blue Origin is aiming high for this inaugural mission, hoping to recover the booster on the first attempt. “We know landing the booster on our first try offshore in the Atlantic is ambitious — but we’re going for it,” the company stated.
The Future of New Glenn
New Glenn is poised to be a game-changer for Blue Origin, with its reusable first stage capable of flying up to 25 times. This innovation aligns with the company’s goal to reduce the costs of space missions, making them more accessible for a wide range of customers.
The rocket already has an impressive lineup of missions on its manifest, including a Mars mission for NASA and launches for Amazon’s Kuiper internet satellite constellation. Blue Origin hopes New Glenn will become a workhorse rocket, rivaling the success of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, which regularly land and reuse their first stages.
A Delicate Balancing Act
The decision to delay the launch highlights the challenges of precision in modern spaceflight. Recovering a booster at sea requires optimal weather conditions, and the rough seas in the Atlantic presented too great a risk for this historic first attempt.
If conditions on Sunday do not improve, Blue Origin has a backup launch window extending through Jan. 16, according to an FAA advisory.
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