Blue Origin, the company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, canceled the maiden launch of the New Glenn rocket due to technical problems. The flight was scheduled for Sunday, January 12, from Florida, writes Reuters.
The New Glenn rocket/PHOTO: X Blue Origin
The flight, which was originally scheduled for 01:00 ET (08:00 Romanian time), was repeatedly delayed for up to 3 hours. A spokeswoman said during the broadcast that researchers are examining “several anomalies.”
“We are stopping today’s launch attempt to resolve a vehicle subsystem issue that will take us beyond our launch window.
We are analyzing opportunities for our next launch attempt“, Blue Origin explained in a statement.
The delay could last at least 24 hours, but is expected to last longer as researchers examine the technical problem encountered by the high-stakes mission.
The Amazon founder said Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX, will not use his proximity to Trump to undermine Blue Origin’s role in the space program, and is even optimistic about the new administration’s agenda.
However, with the help of New Glenn, Blue Origin wants to rival SpaceX in the space industry.
The flight, planned for Sunday, was canceled from the Cape Canaveral air base in Florida (southeast USA), it had been delayed due to sea conditions. The launch would have been a turning point for Blue Origin, but also for the space industry.
At the same time, Blue Origin has also been involved in space tourism for several years. Passengers thus have the opportunity to admire the Earth from space, in a journey that lasts around ten minutes. They are transported beyond the Karman Line, which marks the altitude of 100 kilometers. This line is considered, according to an international commission, the border with space.
In May 2024, 90-year-old former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, who was denied spaceflight by NASA in 1961, became the oldest astronaut to reach space with the help of Blue Origin.
