Second Blue Origin New Glenn rocket targets late Spring launch

Blue Origin has officially announced that it is targeting the second New Glenn rocket launch for late Spring after the success of the initial mission.

On January 16, 2025, Blue Origin launched the maiden New Glenn flight from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Its first stage ignited seven BE-4 engines at full power and taking the integrated flight to space. The first and second stage separated, and the booster returned to Earth to attempt a vertical landing on a droneship.

Meanwhile, the second stage successfully entered into orbit following two burns of the BE-3U engines. However, the first stage was lost in the descent, causing Blue Origin to participate in the FAA’s investigation.

Blue Origin New Glenn Liftoff

In a brief post on X, the rocket maker confirmed that it has submitted the final report to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the first New Glenn booster landing attempt failure due to issues in three BE-4 engines’ re-ignition.

Blue Origin mentioned that all debris were landed in the pre-defined hazard area and no public safety was threatened in the process.

This collective investigation identified several corrective measures for New Glenn’s design and technologies, including propellant management and engine bleed control.

These are issues are already being addressed in the new launch vehicles for the second New Glenn flight, which is expected to liftoff no earlier than the late spring. With that said, Blue will also attempt to land the first stage on the droneship.

The New Glenn is designed to carry a large payload into orbit and beyond. It is contracted by NASA, Amazon, AST SpaceMobile and other telecom provides to launch their payloads.

The company is also preparing this rocket for lunar missions. According to the information, it will carry the Blue Moon Mark 1 cargo lander and Mark 2 crewed lander to the Moon as part of the Artemis program.