Jeff Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin will make the next attempt to fly its New Glenn rocket on Thursday according to the firm's latest update. New Glenn is Blue's new rocket and the only single-unit heavy lift vehicle in the world designed for the propulsive landing of its first-stage booster. Blue made the rocket's first launch attempt yesterday but scrubbed it with less than an hour left until the launch window closed.
Blue Origin Shifts New Glenn's Inaugural Launch To Thursday Following Weather Constraints
The New Glenn rocket was initially slated to launch at 1 am earlier today, but Blue Origin delayed the launch multiple times during the attempt. The firm did not provide any official explanation for the delay, and ended up scrubbing it when less than an hour was left before the three hour launch window's end. Media reports suggest that an icy vent in the rocket's vent lines was to blame, as Blue Origin failed to clear the line despite multiple attempts.
These vent lines divert excess propellant away from the rocket's tanks after fueling, and given that the launch attempt did remain constrained at Blue Origin's 'functional check' phase of the countdown, which made it likely that the reports were true.
After it remained silent following the launch scrub for quite some time, Blue Origin initially shared that it would try to launch the New Glenn tomorrow. The new launch date ended speculation that it might take the firm at least 48 hours to scrub the rocket of its propellants and then load it up again for a second launch attempt.
Blue Origin's first post-scrub launch update also confirmed that the reason behind the delay was a blocked vent line. The firm outlined, "This morning’s scrub was due to ice forming in a purge line on an auxiliary power unit that powers some of our hydraulic systems," and cautioned that a poor weather forecast could make it miss the latest launch window. An auxiliary unit is used to maneuver a rocket's control surfaces, making it likely that the scrub was because Blue Origin was unsure that it could maneuver the booster during landing.
Soon after its update, the firm shared that the latest launch attempt for the New Glenn will occur on Thursday. It blamed weather constraints for the delay. Like SpaceX's Falcon 9, since the New Glenn is also designed to land on a ship, Blue Origin has to be mindful of sea weather conditions too if it plans to recover the first-stage booster after launch.
Launch weather forecasts for tomorrow show a 70% chance of violation, which makes a launch unlikely to occur. However, a purge line blockage is a minor issue, and provided that Blue does not face any other anomalies on the Thursday launch attempt, it is likely that New Glenn will light up its seven BE-4 engines for liftoff.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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