Blue Origin's new rocket launch suffers last-minute failure

(CLO) Blue Origin, the space company of billionaire Jeff Bezos, failed in its first launch of the New Glenn rocket from Florida on the morning of January 13 due to unspecified last-minute technical problems.

With its partially reusable booster stage, the New Glenn rocket is ready on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch was originally scheduled for 1 a.m. ET (1 p.m. ET) after the rocket was loaded with methane and liquid oxygen.

However, the countdown was delayed several times until the launch window ended at 4:00 a.m. At 2:20 a.m., a Blue Origin spokesperson announced on the livestream that the mission teams were looking into “some anomalies” but did not disclose specific details.

The New Glenn rocket on the launch pad at Launch Complex 36, Florida. Photo: Blue Origin

“We are postponing today’s launch attempt to troubleshoot a subsystem issue on the spacecraft,” said Ariane Cornell, Blue Origin’s vice president of space systems. The rocket is currently being drained of fuel.

The launch is the culmination of decades of development and billions of dollars in investment. The mission includes a test landing of New Glenn’s first booster stage on a floating barge in the Atlantic Ocean, just 10 minutes after liftoff, while the second stage will continue the journey to orbit.

Jeff Bezos highlighted the risks of the first flight: "The thing we worry about most is the landing of the booster stage. On the first flight, something could go wrong at any time during the mission."

In late 2023, Bezos attempted to overhaul Blue Origin by prioritizing the development of New Glenn and the BE-4 engine. He also appointed former Amazon executive Dave Limp as CEO, aiming to instill a sense of urgency to catch up with billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

New Glenn, which is more than twice as powerful as SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, has dozens of launch contracts worth billions of dollars. Bezos is hoping for a major breakthrough with this launch, stressing: "If you land the booster successfully, that would be a huge accomplishment."

Ngoc Anh (according to Blue Origin, Reuters, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/vu-phong-ten-lua-moi-cua-blue-origin-gap-su-co-vao-phut-chot-post330190.html