Blue Origin Starts LC-36 Rebuild 1 Month After New Glenn Pad Explosion
Updated
Updated · Orlando Sentinel · Jun 25
Blue Origin Starts LC-36 Rebuild 1 Month After New Glenn Pad Explosion
3 articles · Updated · Orlando Sentinel · Jun 25
Summary
Blue Origin said it has cleared all debris from Launch Complex 36 and begun reconstruction less than a month after the May 28 New Glenn explosion at Cape Canaveral.
Dave Limp said wreckage recovery took 9 days, with crews working around the clock after the static hot-fire blast destroyed the rocket, a lightning tower and the transporter erector.
The explosion registered 2.5 on the Richter scale, damaged several buildings and scattered debris up to half a mile, though the propellant farm, water tower and some nearby hardware survived.
Blue Origin still aims to fly New Glenn again this year, a faster return than early fears suggested after comparisons with SpaceX's 15-month pad recovery following its 2016 Falcon 9 explosion.
The timeline matters beyond Blue Origin's launch plans: NASA wants New Glenn back for Artemis support, including future Blue Moon MK2 lander missions competing with SpaceX's Starship.