Blue Origin New Glenn rocket launch scrubbed twice

"A blast from the Sun kept Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket on the pad as the Northern Lights forced NASA to halt the launch. It has not been a good week for Jeff Bezos' rocket. A planned launch on November 9 was scrubbed due to weather, and the Blue Origin team had hoped to get the New Glenn off the pad on November 12, but it was not to be. While skywatchers were admiring an aurora, NASA scientists were fretting about the effects of the solar storm."

"In an announcement, Blue Origin said: "New Glenn is ready to launch. However, due to highly elevated solar activity and its potential effects on the ESCAPADE spacecraft, NASA is postponing launch until space weather conditions improve. We are currently assessing opportunities to establish our next launch window based on forecasted space weather and range availability." The company will attempt to launch again today, November 13, with a launch window extending between 1957 to 2125 UTC from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station."

"The European Space Agency (ESA) noted an intense solar flare on November 11, which peaked at approximately 1004 UTC. A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) was observed less than an hour later, with an estimated speed of 1,500 km/s. It was due to reach Earth in the evening of November 12 or the early morning of November 13. Therefore, NASA's decision to postpone the launch appears prudent."

Highly elevated solar activity and an associated coronal mass ejection delayed Blue Origin's New Glenn launch carrying NASA's ESCAPADE spacecraft. A previous attempt on November 9 was scrubbed for weather, and a planned November 12 liftoff was postponed because of space weather concerns. ESA recorded an intense solar flare on November 11 and a CME estimated at about 1,500 km/s expected to arrive late on November 12 or early on November 13. Blue Origin is assessing new launch windows and aims to attempt launch from Cape Canaveral on November 13, subject to improved space weather and range availability. ESCAPADE will send two spacecraft on an extended transfer to Mars.

Read at Theregister