Blue Origin is set to resume flights of its New Glenn rocket by the end of 2026, following a significant explosion during testing last week, according to CEO Dave Limp.
During a recent update, Limp noted that the damage to the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, was not as severe as initially feared. He mentioned that the infrastructure and other components, including a previously flown New Glenn booster and three upper stages, remain in good condition.
“We will fly again before the end of this year,” Limp stated, indicating a rapid recovery timeline after what has been described as the largest failure in the company's history. Industry experts had anticipated that it might take until 2027 for Blue Origin to launch again, given the extent of the damage to the only launchpad capable of supporting New Glenn.
As of now, the cause of the explosion has not been disclosed by the company.
Blue Origin's situation is distinct from SpaceX, which managed to bounce back quickly after a Falcon 9 mishap in 2016, thanks to having a second launchpad nearly ready at that time. While Blue Origin is in the early stages of constructing a second launchpad, it is not yet operational.
The New Glenn rocket is critical for NASA's upcoming Artemis missions aimed at lunar exploration. In a strategic pivot, Blue Origin has shifted its focus entirely to support these missions, pausing space tourism flights on its smaller New Shepard rocket for at least two years.
The first New Glenn launch occurred in January 2025, after extensive development delays. Although the upper stage successfully reached orbit, the booster stage exploded during its return. The subsequent launch in November successfully deployed two spacecraft bound for Mars and achieved a successful booster recovery. However, the third mission in April faced an upper stage failure, resulting in the loss of a customer payload.
Blue Origin was preparing for its fourth launch, which involved deploying satellites for Amazon, another company founded by Jeff Bezos. Fortunately, the satellites were not on board at the time of the explosion.
While there was speculation about a potential direct transition to a more powerful variant of New Glenn, Limp clarified that the company will maintain its current launch approach. However, adjustments will be made in how rockets are transported and positioned at the launchpad, moving away from the previously used “transporter-erector.” Details on the new method remain unspecified.
