Blue Origin scrubbed the second launch of its New Glenn rocket on Sunday afternoon. The delay was caused by weather concerns, a few minor issues with launch pad equipment, and a cruise ship that strayed too close to the flight path.
The company announced it will make another launch attempt on Wednesday, November 12. The Federal Aviation Administration had announced restrictions on space launches due to the government shutdown, but Blue Origin stated it worked with the FAA to enable this second attempt. The launch window opens at 2:50 p.m. ET and lasts until 4:17 p.m. ET.
This mission is important for Blue Origin for several reasons. The company is still proving the full reusability of the rocket. New Glenn successfully reached orbit during its first launch in January, but the booster exploded before it could land on a drone ship. Blue Origin hopes to land the booster for the first time during this second flight.
This is also the first commercial mission for New Glenn. The rocket will carry NASA’s ESCAPADE spacecraft into space for a mission to Mars. New Glenn is also carrying a tech demonstrator for Viasat, which is part of another NASA project. Proving New Glenn can safely and cost-effectively deliver payloads to space is crucial for Blue Origin to compete against SpaceX.
Blue Origin originally planned to attempt the second launch earlier this year but delayed it several times. Sunday’s launch window in Cape Canaveral, Florida, initially opened at 2:45 p.m. ET. The weather and equipment issues caused the launch time to slip several times. Minutes before a launch attempt, a cruise ship entered the flight path. While the ship was expected to clear the area, ongoing weather concerns ultimately caused the company to scrub the attempt.