Blue Origin delays New Glenn rocket launch to January 13
What's the story
Blue Origin has delayed the launch of its New Glenn rocket, which was set to take off today.
The move comes as rough waters in the Atlantic Ocean could interfere with the landing of the rocket's reusable first stage.
The liftoff has now been rescheduled for no earlier than tomorrow (January 13), at 1:00am EST (11:30am IST) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Weather impact
Adverse Atlantic conditions pose risk
The bad weather in the Atlantic Ocean poses a major risk to the rocket booster landing operation.
The component is supposed to return to Earth and land on a barge named Jacklyn, after Jeff Bezos's mother.
Blue Origin has admitted the difficulties of this ambitious first-time booster landing, but it is still determined to make it happen.
Rocket details
A significant step in reusable space technology
Standing at an impressive 98 meters, the New Glenn rocket features a reusable first stage that can handle at least 25 flights.
This would help bring down the cost of space missions, just like SpaceX's successful model.
The rocket's launch will mark Blue Origin's entry into orbital-class missions and is considered a major step toward reusable space technology.
Future missions
New Glenn already secured several contracts
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has already booked a few contracts for future missions.
These include NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars and the deployment of Amazon's Kuiper internet satellites.
If the launch doesn't happen tomorrow, notices from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suggest that further launches may be attempted through January 16.
Twitter Post
Sea conditions remain unfavorable for booster landing
New Glenn Launch Update: Sea state conditions are still unfavorable for booster landing. We're shifting our NG-1 launch date by
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 11, 2025one day to no earlier than January 13. Our three-hour window remains the same, opening Monday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC).
Inaugural mission
Maiden mission to carry national security payload
The first-ever mission of the New Glenn rocket, called NG-1, will be carrying the Blue Ring Pathfinder payload. Despite the fact that first launches are often difficult due to untested components, company officials remain optimistic about this mission.