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Jeff Bezos’s New Glenn debut launch called off | Science, Climate & Tech News

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

New Glenn on the launch pad in December. Pic: Blue Origin
Image:
New Glenn on the launch pad at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in December. Pic: Blue Origin

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.

New Glenn's enormous first stage is transported from its factory. Pic: Blue Origin
Image:
New Glenn’s enormous first stage is transported from its factory. Pic: Blue Origin

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.

Read more:
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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.

New Glenn could be a gamechanger

Tom Clarke

Science and technology editor

@t0mclark3

The New Glenn rocket is a prominent player in the space industry.

It is partially reusable and has the capacity to transport heavy payloads into Earth orbit, the Moon, or Mars, posing a significant challenge to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9.

Although Bezos’s first major rocket launch is just happening now, it’s worth noting that he founded his space venture, Blue Origin, 25 years ago, preceding SpaceX and Virgin Galactic by Richard Branson.

Blue Origin remained relatively quiet until 2015 when it launched its sub-orbital space tourism vehicle, New Shepard, 100km above Earth.

While New Shepard may seem like a luxurious ride for affluent passengers, New Glenn has the potential to revolutionize space travel.

It is instrumental in bringing Bezos’s Project Kuiper satellite broadband network to fruition, directly competing with Musk’s Starlink system.

Blue Origin is also engaged in developing a lunar lander and potentially crew capsules to support ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station or participating in NASA’s plans to return humans to the Moon.

New Glenn will carry Blue Ring, an experimental “space tug” and satellite support platform, emphasizing the high stakes for Bezos with this rocket.

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.

Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster was launched into space during a Falcon Heavy test flight in 2018. Pic: SpaceX
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Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster was launched into space during a Falcon test flight in 2018. Pic: SpaceX

The Blue Ring Pathfinder heading into New Glenn's huge cargo area. Pic: Blue Origin
Image:
The Blue Ring Pathfinder heading into New Glenn’s huge cargo area. Pic: Blue Origin

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.