Unexpected Weather Delays New Glenn’s Scheduled Launch
The eagerly anticipated launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, initially slated for November 9, was abruptly postponed due to unforeseen weather conditions at Cape Canaveral, USA. Cumulus clouds loomed over the launch site, complicating the series of final pre-launch checks.
Complications of a Cumulus Kinda Day
In parallel with the cloud cover, the ground team faced the challenge of addressing technical issues within the ground support systems, coupled with closely monitoring a cruise ship that had entered a restricted maritime zone. Ultimately, the launch was aborted just 17 minutes before the planned liftoff time.
Regulatory and Logistical Considerations
In a statement, Blue Origin confirmed their assessment of the next viable launch windows, awaiting clearance from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This approval comes amidst a ‘commercial curfew’ imposed due to ongoing federal agency shutdowns commencing November 10. The subsequent launch attempt will see the 98-meter New Glenn rocket embark from Launch Complex 36, following a south-eastern trajectory.
The Meteorological Forecast
According to the 45th Weather Squadron of the U.S. Space Force, a 65% chance of favorable weather was expected at the start of the November 9 window, dipping to 55% as time progressed. Forecasters highlighted a cold front approaching, bringing cumulus clouds, lightning, and localized severe thunderstorms, with wind gusts reaching up to 54 mph. The reserved window on November 10 showed a 75% likelihood of a successful launch, albeit with a ‘moderate’ risk for the booster landing.
Engineering Feats and Reusability Goals
As with its maiden flight in January 2025, Blue Origin aspires to recover the first stage on the autonomous sea platform, Jacklyn. The 57-meter booster named “Never Tell Me the Odds” will execute a series of braking maneuvers using its BE-4 engines, transitioning from three to one engine for the final landing burn. In the event of a successful recovery, the company plans to reuse this stage in the third launch of the rocket. CEO Dave Limp has emphasized, through social media channels, that several subsequent boosters are already in production, ensuring program continuity regardless of any single stage’s outcome.
The New Glenn 2 Mission: A Collaborative Leap
The New Glenn Mission 2 (NG-2) promises to be pivotal as Blue Origin moves from testing phases to accommodating real scientific and commercial payloads. Aboard the 7-meter diameter payload fairing reside two identical NASA ESCAPADE satellites, Blue and Gold, along with a communications technology demonstrator for Viasat. The mission plan forecasts the upper stage, powered by a BE-3U engine, performing two burns before releasing the ESCAPADE satellites into their targeted orbit approximately 33 minutes post-launch. The Viasat demonstrator is expected to begin functionality around five minutes after the second satellite, Gold, is deployed.
A Gateway to Mars: Exploring the Red Planet’s Magnetosphere
ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers), a NASA mission, aims to delve into Mars’ magnetosphere and its interactions with solar particle streams, enhancing our understanding of space weather. These twin satellites, built on Rocket Lab’s Explorer platform, will measure plasma and magnetic field parameters across varying Martian orbits, offering crucial insights into the planet’s atmospheric loss over time.
NASA’s Heliophysics Division Director, Joseph Westlake, hailed ESCAPADE as NASA’s inaugural heliophysics mission to Mars, underscoring its significance in gathering space weather data critical for future solar system endeavors.
Constructed within the SIMPLEx program framework-known for shorter timelines and reduced budgets-the ESCAPADE mission showcases Rocket Lab’s expertise in crafting deep space-capable spacecraft, with over 70% of their mass comprising fuel reserves. Initially planned launch delays have led Advanced Space to plot a reimagined journey, where the satellites will spend a year orbiting Earth before embarking on a ten-month voyage to Mars. They are expected to enter Martian orbit in September 2027, with primary scientific operations spanning June 2028 to May 2029.
From Tests to Triumphs: A Milestone for Blue Origin and Beyond
While the postponement of New Glenn 2 slightly skews timelines, it in no way diminishes the mission’s overarching importance. For Blue Origin, this marks a crucial shift from trial phases to executing missions for tangible scientific and commercial objectives. For NASA, it presents an evaluation of more flexible, cost-effective Martian project formats. For planetary science, it provides a novel dataset on the Martian atmosphere’s historical erosion, enriching forecast reliability for future robotic and human ventures near Mars.
The spotlight now turns to the subsequent launch window and New Glenn’s performance as it undertakes its first substantial task en route to Mars.