Blue Origin scrubs second launch of New Glenn due to weather, cruise ship traffic | TechCrunch

"This mission is an important one for Blue Origin for a number of reasons. For one, the company is still proving out the full reusability of the rocket. New Glenn successfully reached orbit during its first launch in January, but the booster exploded before it could land on a drone ship in the ocean. Blue Origin hopes to land the booster for the first time during this second flight."

"This is also the first commercial mission for New Glenn. The rocket will carry NASA's ESCAPADE spacecraft into space, where it will embark on a mission to Mars. New Glenn is also carrying a tech demonstrator for Viasat, which is part of another NASA project. Proving New Glenn can safely deliver payloads to space - and do it cost effectively thanks in large part to the rockets reusability - is crucial if Blue Origin wants to compete against Elon Musk's SpaceX."

"Blue Origin's space company Blue Origin scrubbed the second launch of its New Glenn mega-rocket planned for Sunday afternoon due to concerns with weather, a few minor problems with launch pad equipment, and at least one cruise ship that strayed too close to the flight path. It's not immediately clear when the company will get another go at launching New Glenn's second mission. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced restrictions on space launches late last week due to the government shutdown."

"On November 7, Blue Origin posted on X that the company was working with the FAA to make sure Sunday's launch could happen. After the launch scrub Sunday, the company said it is "reviewing opportunities for our next launch attempt based on forecasted weather." Blue Origin originally planned to attempt the second launch earlier this year, but delayed it several times. Sunday's launch window in Cape Canaveral, Florida initially opened at 2:45 p.m. local time, and the company had a window of roughly 90 minutes."

Blue Origin scrubbed New Glenn's second launch because of weather concerns, minor launch-pad equipment problems, and a cruise ship entering the flight path. FAA restrictions tied to a government shutdown added uncertainty about the next attempt. The mission aims to prove full booster reusability after a January flight reached orbit but ended with the booster exploding before landing. The flight is New Glenn's first commercial mission, carrying NASA's ESCAPADE to Mars and a Viasat tech demonstrator tied to NASA. Successful, cost-effective payload delivery and reusable recovery are critical for competing with SpaceX. The launch window opened at 2:45 p.m. local time with roughly 90 minutes available, and earlier delays had already shifted the attempt.

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