Blue Origin Readies New Glenn to Launch 48 Amazon Satellites After 2-Month Failure Probe
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · May 28
Blue Origin Readies New Glenn to Launch 48 Amazon Satellites After 2-Month Failure Probe
6 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · May 28
Blue Origin is preparing New Glenn for a mission carrying 48 Amazon broadband satellites, with public airspace and maritime notices pointing to a launch from Cape Canaveral as soon as June 4.
The flight comes less than two months after New Glenn’s third mission left its payload in an unusable orbit; the FAA and Blue Origin closed that failure investigation on May 22.
A successful launch would mark Amazon’s biggest single-batch satellite deployment yet, topping earlier Kuiper missions flown on Atlas V, Falcon 9 and Ariane 6.
New Glenn is expected to head to the pad for a seven-engine static fire in the coming days, and a quick return after a failure would signal Blue Origin is trying to raise the rocket’s launch cadence.
That matters as rival heavy launcher Vulcan remains grounded after anomalies on 2 of its 4 flights, leaving the market short on high-cadence alternatives.
With rival rockets facing delays, can New Glenn's return secure a critical foothold in the lucrative heavy-lift launch market?
Beyond Amazon's satellites, could another failure jeopardize Blue Origin's ambitious plans for a privately funded moon base?