The second launch attempt of Blue Origin’s partially reusable New Glenn rocket was called off on Sunday due to unfavorable weather conditions, which has postponed NASA’s latest Mars mission. The company, owned by Jeff Bezos, indicated that the next launch window from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida will occur “no earlier” than Wednesday, November 12th, with a timeline set between 2:50 PM and 4:17 PM ET.
This launch is significant as the 320-foot-tall New Glenn rocket is scheduled to deploy NASA’s twin ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) probes, marking the first Mars mission since NASA’s Perseverance and Ingenuity missions in 2020. The ESCAPADE satellites are expected to reach Mars orbit in 2027 to study the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere.
Additionally, this launch represents Blue Origin’s latest effort to successfully land New Glenn’s reusable first-stage booster. Similar to SpaceX’s Falcon rocket boosters, the New Glenn booster is intended to land vertically on a sea-based platform after launch. Although Blue Origin’s first launch in January successfully lifted New Glenn, the booster was lost during its landing attempt. Achieving a successful launch and landing could position Blue Origin as a competitive player in the deep-space launch market alongside established companies such as SpaceX and United Launch Alliance.
Blue Origin reported that it collaborated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to select the new launch window. The company appears to have received an exemption from recently instituted FAA regulations restricting commercial rocket launches between 6 AM and 10 PM, which were implemented on November 10th to manage air traffic during the ongoing government shutdown. A live webcast for New Glenn’s second flight is planned to begin 20 minutes before the scheduled launch on Wednesday.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/817466/blue-origin-new-glenn-second-launch-scrubbed