The launch of a massive, partially reusable rocket, created by Jeff Bezos’s company, was canceled this morning after experiencing hours of delays.
The 98-meter-tall rocket, named New Glenn, was scheduled to transport up to 45 tonnes of technology to low Earth orbit.
However, the team at Blue Origin, the space technology company founded by Amazon’s Mr. Bezos, confirmed this morning that the launch had been called off.
The decision was made after a series of delays caused by unspecified issues.
As it unfolded: Check out our coverage of the launch
The team stated that they would determine a new date for the launch, adding: “We are excited for our next launch attempt.”
Earlier this morning, the team mentioned that they were “working through anomalies”.
In an interview before the launch, Mr. Bezos expressed his nervousness about the booster landing.
“Especially on an inaugural flight, there can be anomalies at any stage, so anything is possible,” he said.
The builders of New Glenn aim to rival SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which has been the preferred choice for transporting heavy cargo into space.
However, it took Blue Origin several years to reach this point.
Development of the orbital rocket began nearly a decade ago, but setbacks and delays delayed its maiden voyage.
Prior to the launch, SpaceX founder and X owner Elon Musk showed his support, wishing “good luck” in response to a post by Blue Origin on his platform.
Reusable first stage
The rocket, named after NASA astronaut John Glenn, has two stages, one of which is reusable.
The initial reusable stage will utilize seven engines to propel the rocket off the launch pad into higher altitudes before descending back to Earth to land on a sea platform called Jacklyn.
This first stage is designed to be used at least 25 times, making it more cost-effective and sustainable compared to building new rockets for each flight.
The second stage, which is not reusable, will store cargo and necessary items for missions.
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The two restartable engines onboard will activate once the first stage has consumed all its fuel.
These engines will then propel the rest of the spacecraft into orbit.
Cargo
Rockets like New Glenn are designed to transport payloads into orbit or beyond, necessitating the ability to carry cargo.
When SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy rocket was launched by Mr. Musk in 2018, he placed his old red Tesla Roadster on board.
Mr. Bezos has not made a flashy move like that. Instead, he loaded a prototype cargo carrier onto New Glenn, known as the Blue Ring Pathfinder.
In the future, the Pathfinder will be capable of transporting 3,000kg of scientific equipment into space and delivering it to various locations in orbit.
During this test flight, the ground team will ensure they can establish communication with the Pathfinder once it reaches orbit.