Blue Origin Delays New Glenn Rocket Launch Over Weather, Technical Glitches
Blue Origin has postponed the launch of its New Glenn rocket, which was set to carry NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars, after a mix of bad weather and technical issues disrupted Sunday’s countdown.
The Jeff Bezos–founded space company said the launch was initially delayed by rain and a ground system malfunction, followed by dense cloud cover that forced mission managers to call off the attempt as the 88-minute launch window closed. The liftoff has been rescheduled for later this week, with a new target window on Wednesday between 2:50 p.m. and 4:17 p.m. ET (1950–2117 GMT), pending FAA clearance.
Standing 322 feet (98 meters) tall, the New Glenn rocket was slated to send NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft toward Mars, where they will study the planet’s magnetosphere and atmosphere to better understand its climate evolution — vital data for future human missions.
Beyond its scientific goals, the launch represents a crucial technical milestone for Blue Origin, which aims to recover its reusable first-stage booster — a capability long mastered by rival SpaceX. During New Glenn’s maiden flight in January, while the payload reached orbit successfully, the booster was lost during descent into the Atlantic.
A successful recovery this time would mark a major step forward for Blue Origin’s reusability program. Aerospace veteran George Nield told AFP the outcome will “show how much progress they’ve really made.” Cornell professor and former NASA chief technologist Mason Peck added that the rivalry between Bezos and Elon Musk “can only benefit innovation — more launches mean more ideas in space.”
