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Blue Origin says early data points to first-stage issue in rocket explosion
Blue Origin says early findings from its investigation into the May 28 New Glenn launch pad explosion point to a problem in the rocket's first stage as the company works toward returning to flight by the end of the year.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Blue Origin says it plans to return its New Glenn rocket to flight before the end of 2026 after an explosion during a launch pad test destroyed key ground equipment but spared critical infrastructure needed to rebuild.
The May 28 blast occurred during an integrated hotfire test of a New Glenn launch vehicle at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. According to Blue Origin, the explosion destroyed the pad's lightning tower and the transporter-erector used to move and raise the rocket, but left fuel storage systems and several other major facilities largely intact.
The setback comes at a critical time for Blue Origin and NASA's Artemis moon program, which relies on the company's heavy-lift rocket to launch lunar missions in the coming years.
Damage less severe than initially feared
What we know:
Blue Origin says early findings from its investigation into the explosion point to a problem in the rocket's first stage as the company works toward returning to flight by the end of the year. CEO Dave Limp said the company believes the anomaly originated in the aft section of the rocket's first stage during the test.
While the explosion destroyed several major structures, Blue Origin said much of the launch site's supporting infrastructure survived.
"Now that we have more visibility into the impact, we know that we lost the lightning tower, the transporter-erector, and the hydraulic cylinders, but we caught a lot of breaks, too, and intend to make the most of them," Limp said in an update.
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He said the tank farm, Integration Facility, vehicle access tower and water tower remain in good condition. Methane, hydrogen and oxygen storage tanks were not significantly damaged, and rocket hardware stored nearby, including a booster, also escaped damage.
As part of cleanup efforts, Blue Origin relocated three second-stage vehicles and other flight hardware from the Integration Facility before reconstruction began.
Investigation continues
What we don't know:
The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
"We continue to actively investigate the cause of the anomaly," Limp said. "The vehicle is highly instrumented with extensive data from multiple camera angles and sensors, giving us confidence in our ability to identify and correct the root cause. Early analysis points to the aft section of the first stage."
Rebuilding with a new design
What's next:
Rather than reconstructing the launch pad exactly as it was, Blue Origin said it will accelerate plans for a new launch operations approach.
"To return to flight this year, we're not rebuilding the same pad," Limp said. "We're going straight to a horizontal/vertical hybrid CONOPS we had already been developing for our 9x4 New Glenn launch vehicle, using existing infrastructure, skipping a new transporter-erector, and creating a common CONOPS across two pads."
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The company said it continues building New Glenn vehicles while maintaining flight readiness during the investigation and recovery.
"Our road to space doesn't pause here," Limp said. "We will return to flight by the end of this year."
Artemis missions at stake
Big picture view:
The explosion came just two days after NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to launch two lunar rovers aboard New Glenn rockets ahead of future Artemis astronaut landings.
New Glenn is also slated to launch Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar lander, which NASA selected to transport astronauts to the moon's surface as part of the Artemis program.
Named after astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, New Glenn is central to Blue Origin's role in NASA's effort to establish a sustained human presence near the moon's south pole. NASA is targeting as early as 2028 for the first crewed Artemis moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency will support recovery efforts while keeping lunar landing development on schedule.
Company has one Florida launch pad
Local perspective:
Blue Origin's orbital launches currently rely on a single Florida launch site, Launch Complex 36, which the company leased from the U.S. Air Force in 2015 before investing more than $1 billion to transform the historic complex into a modern launch facility.
The site previously hosted NASA's Mariner and Pioneer planetary probes as well as Ranger and Surveyor missions to the moon.
New Glenn has flown three times since its debut. The rocket is expected to serve commercial, national security and civil government customers while supporting NASA's Artemis exploration program.
Limp said support from customers has remained strong following the accident.
"The response from our industry partners and customers has been extraordinary," he said. "This support reinforces what we already know—what we're doing matters."
"We take our responsibility as a launch provider very seriously, and we are committed to returning to flight with the reliability our mission demands."
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Blue Origin, NASA, and reporting by the Associated Press.