Blue Origin plans to launch its New Glenn rocket before the end of the year, even after the explosion recorded during a test in Florida. The company claims that the main infrastructure of the launch complex survived without significant damage and that the investigation of the anomaly is still ongoing.
Blue Origin plans to launch despite the incident
The company founded by Jeff Bezos regained access to Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral and is working on cleaning the affected area. Its CEO, Dave Limp, indicated that the key storage systems for propellants, including liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen, and liquefied natural gas, remain in good condition.
The water tower is also preserved, an important piece for the operation of the site. According to the company, its preservation reduces times and costs in a stage where each logistical component counts.
What was damaged and what remains operational
Blue Origin acknowledged damage to the main support structure, although it assured that it can be repaired on site, without disassembling it or replacing it completely. That detail is relevant because it avoids a longer pause in the test schedule.
In parallel, Limp stated that the engine known as Never Tell Me The Odds and three upper stages GS-2 stored in integration appear to have come out unscathed. The company also ruled out versions about a change in the rocket’s configuration.
The New Glenn manufacturing continues
The production of the 7×2 configuration continues, with seven engines in the first stage and two in the second. Blue Origin plans to store those stages for future launches, instead of halting the production line.
The company also confirmed that it will definitively abandon the plan to use a new transporter-elevator for the rocket. Instead, it will move towards a vertical integration, an alternative that it was already evaluating before the accident.
Risks on the coast and next steps
While the cleanup work continues, Blue Origin warned that fragments of the explosion could appear on nearby coastlines over the next few days or weeks. Therefore, it asked not to touch them or approach them.
The goal remains the same: Blue Origin plans to launch the New Glenn this year, in a mission that was going to place 48 satellites for Amazon for the Kuiper project, although that load was not on board during the test. That program aims to deploy over 3,200 satellites to offer high-speed internet and compete with Starlink, from SpaceX.
If the company meets its new deadline, the attempt will mark a key step for its sustained entry into the heavy-lift orbital market. Blue Origin plans to launch with the expectation that the technical investigation will confirm that the incident does not compromise its overall schedule.
