Space News reports, “Companies that are fielding new launch vehicles are now facing the challenge of scaling up operations to meet the continued high demand for them. During a panel discussion at World Space Business Week here Sept. 16, executives with several launch companies that have or are about to introduce new launch vehicles say they are turning their attention to increasing their launch cadence. Among the most aggressive is Blue Origin, whose New Glenn rocket is scheduled to make its inaugural launch as soon as November.”
Full Story (Space News)
Tag: New Glenn
Blue Origin’s New Glenn Launch Delayed Until 12 January
The Guardian reports Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch is delayed until at least 12 January due to conditions in the Atlantic, where the booster is slated to land. A statement from the company read: “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.”
Full Story (The Guardian)
Blue Origin Conducts Hot Fire Test on New Glenn’s Upper Stage
Aviation Week reports, “Blue Origin on Sept. 23 conducted a 15-sec. hot fire of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen-fueled upper stage for its first New Glenn rocket, in what the company called a critical milestone on the road to flight. The static test fire at Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral SFS marked Blue Origin’s first fueling of a New Glenn rocket stage with flight propellants, and the first engine burn of an integrated flight stage.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Blue Origin Receives USSF Funding for Integration Studies Related to New Glenn Launch Vehicle
Space News reports that Blue Origin “has secured a contract with the U.S. Space Force for integration studies related to its New Glenn launch vehicle.” The new agreement “marks a significant step in Blue Origin’s potential participation in the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 program, a multi-billion dollar procurement of launch services for national security satellites.” The Space Force “awarded Blue Origin nearly $18 million for ‘National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 early integration studies to assess launch vehicle trajectory and mission design, coupled launch loads, and integrated thermal environments to inform compatibility between launch vehicles and space vehicles for missions planned in fiscal years 2025 and 2026.’”
Full Story (Space News)
Second Launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Planned for Late Spring
Space News reports, “Blue Origin expects to attempt its second New Glenn launch in late spring after correcting problems that prevented the booster from landing on the first launch last month. Speaking at the 27th Annual Commercial Space Conference here Feb. 12, Dave Limp, chief executive of Blue Origin, suggested a propulsion issue of some kind caused the loss of the New Glenn booster during its landing attempt on the Jan. 16 NG-1 launch. ‘We had most of the right conditions in the engine but we weren’t able to get everything right to the engine from the tanks,’ he said. ‘We think we understand what the issues are.’
Full Story (Space News)
NASA Makes Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Eligible to Launch Uncrewed Scientific Missions
The Wall Street Journal reports that NASA said Wednesday that the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will be eligible to launch uncrewed scientific missions for the agency later this decade. There was no contract award given to Blue Origin, but the announcement marks the first time the company has become eligible to launch science missions for NASA. Blue Origin joins SpaceX and ULA, who have already been cleared to launch scientific missions for the agency.
Full Story (Wall Street Journal–Subscription Publication)
Blue Origin Launches Third Crewed New Shepard Mission of 2024
Via Satellite reports, “Blue Origin flew a crew to the edge of space on the New Shepard rocket on Friday in its ninth human spaceflight mission. The civilian astronaut crew included TV host and space communicator Emily Calandrelli, known for Netflix and Youtube science shows. During the 10-minute mission, the New Shepard rocket launched from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas. The crew capsule separated successfully from the booster, giving the crew a few minutes of weightlessness.”
Full Story (Via Satellite)
More Info (AIAA Statement)
Video
Blue Origin NS-28 Crew Launch, Friday, November 22, 2024. (Launch at 0:39:02 mark)
(The Launch Pad; YouTube)
Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Launches on its Inaugural Flight
Scientific American reports, “A few minutes after 2:00 A.M. EST, a hulking, 320-foot-tall rocket slipped its tethers at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and heaved itself into the sky on a bluish-white pillar of flame, briefly turning night into day along the eastern shore of Florida’s Space Coast. About 8 minutes later, the rocket’s large, first-stage booster failed to stick its landing on a barge in the Atlantic—not exactly the desired outcome, but not unusual for the first attempt to land a booster upright.”
Full Story (Scientific American)
More Info (AIAA Statement)
Video
New Glenn at liftoff during the NG-1 mission, January 16, 2025. (Launch at 04:00:41 mark)
(NASASpaceflight; YouTube)
Blue Origin Scrubs Debut Launch of its New Glenn Rocket
The New York Times reports, “There’s a new rocket that’s never flown waiting on a launchpad in Florida. It’s called New Glenn and it’s going to have to stay there a little longer. On Monday, propellants were loaded into the vehicle and a countdown clock started. Then the clock was reset again. And again. And again.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription publication)
More Info (Spaceflight Now)