Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin cancels New Glenn rocket launch after last-minute issues

Scheduled to lift off at 1:30 am ET from Cape Canaveral, the launch was delayed several times before being canceled

Listen to article

Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' space venture, faced a setback as the maiden voyage of its New Glenn rocket was abandoned due to technical issues.

Scheduled to lift off at 1:30 am ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the launch was delayed multiple times before being ultimately canceled. The mission marked a significant milestone in Bezos' decade-long effort to rival Elon Musk's dominance in the commercial space sector.

Ariane Cornell, a Blue Origin executive, cited a "vehicle subsystem issue" as the reason for the stand-down, stating, "We are reviewing opportunities for our next launch attempt."

Bezos, who recently turned 61, observed the events from the launch control room. The billionaire's goal was to challenge Musk, whose SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets lead the orbital launch market, catering to commercial needs, NASA, and the Pentagon.

Musk, taking to X, offered his well-wishes, saying, "Good luck!" as the competition between the two space moguls continues.

Blue Origin’s hopes for a smooth inaugural liftoff of its New Glenn rocket were dashed as the mission was scrubbed due to technical issues. The flight was set to gather critical data, with Blue Origin aiming for the rocket to play a key role in the global launch market, particularly in competing with SpaceX’s dominance. New Glenn is the company's first rocket designed to send satellites to orbit, a crucial step for any competitor in the commercial space race.

This setback comes as the space industry gears up for a packed week of launches. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is set to carry two lunar landers into space, with liftoff scheduled for Wednesday at 1:11 a.m. ET from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, located next to Cape Canaveral. Additionally, SpaceX will attempt the seventh test flight of its massive Starship rocket on the same day.