Blue Origin's powerful next-generation rocket, New Glenn, will remain grounded until at least mid-August, delaying the booster’s second launch attempt.
Blue Origin's rocket is seen at the launch pad on the day after Christmas. Credit: Blue Origin
Originally targeting a late spring liftoff, the Jeff Bezos-owned aerospace firm now plans to launch no earlier than August 15, according to company CEO Dave Limp, who made the announcement via X (formerly Twitter) on June 9.
The upcoming mission will feature a booster nicknamed “Never Tell Me The Odds,” a nod to a line from Star Wars and a successor to the first booster, “So You're Telling Me There's a Chance,” which referenced a line from Dumb and Dumber. That first New Glenn rocket launched successfully on January 16, delivering a test version of Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft platform into orbit. However, its booster failed to land on the company’s recovery drone ship as planned.
Despite the landing miss, the debut flight was largely considered a success, demonstrating the rocket's potential to carry heavy payloads—up to 50 tons (45 metric tons)—to low Earth orbit (LEO).
The upcoming flight’s key objective will be to successfully land and recover the reusable first-stage booster, Limp confirmed. "This will take a little bit of luck and a lot of excellent execution," he said, adding that the booster for this second mission completed a successful hot-fire test in April.
Limp also shared that Blue Origin aims to build eight GS2 upper stages this year, a target that seems increasingly unlikely given the current pace. Industry observers, including Ars Technica’s Eric Berger, have expressed skepticism that the company can meet its previously announced goal of launching eight New Glenn missions in 2025.
Blue Origin has not disclosed what payload New Glenn will carry on the second flight. Earlier this year, during remarks at the 27th Annual Commercial Space Conference in Washington, Limp admitted the company was “still looking for opportunities.” He acknowledged that the flight might carry a simple mass simulator if no customer payload is secured in time.
Despite the delay and uncertainty around mission payloads, Blue Origin remains committed to its step-by-step approach to building launch reliability and reusability — embodied in its Latin motto, Gradatim Ferociter, meaning "Step by step, ferociously."
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