Blue Origin delays next New Glenn launch to January 2027
The delay follows a May launchpad explosion that damaged the New Glenn pad ahead of a flight carrying Amazon Leo satellites.
Key facts
Story- Blue Origin plans its next New Glenn rocket launch for January 2027, according to a memo from CEO Dave Limp.
- The new window is about 10 days later than the company's earlier December target.
- A May launchpad explosion damaged the New Glenn pad before a flight carrying Amazon Leo satellites.
Blue Origin plans to launch its next New Glenn rocket in January 2027, according to a memo from chief executive Dave Limp to staff.
The new window is about 10 days later than the company's earlier target. In October, founder Jeff Bezos told Fox News the company was aiming for a December launch. He joked that it could be "probably December 31st."
The delay follows an explosion on the New Glenn launchpad in May. The blast damaged the pad ahead of a planned flight that would have carried Amazon Leo satellites into space.
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The cause of the May explosion has not been described in detail. It is not yet known how long repairs to the pad will take beyond the January target.
New Glenn is Blue Origin's large orbital rocket, and the Amazon Leo satellites were meant to build out Amazon's internet network. A slip of a few weeks may seem minor, but each delay pushes back when those satellites can start service.
The launch schedule is the main near-term question for the company. Blue Origin has now moved its target at least once since October.
Blue Origin has not released further details of the revised plan.
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