Blue Origin vows to fly its New Glenn rocket “before the end of this year”

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket suffered a catastrophic explosion during a static-fire test on May 28 at the company’s LC-36A launch site in Florida. Despite the setback, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp confirmed the company would proceed with a launch before the end of 2026, sharing updates via the social media platform X. A preliminary survey of the LC-36A site revealed that key infrastructure, including the propellant farm, liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen, and LNG tanks, remained undamaged. Limp noted these components have long lead times, calling their condition ‘good luck.’ The water tower at the site was also reported to be in good shape. The company will rebuild the damaged LC-36A pad to support the 7×2 variant of New Glenn, rather than shifting to a larger pad at LC-36B for the 9×4 variant. Limp stated Blue Origin had already been developing an alternative vertical launch method, eliminating the need for a replacement transporter-erector, which was destroyed in the explosion. The accelerated timeline suggests Blue Origin aims to minimize delays and avoid discussions about launching its Blue Moon lander on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. The company had previously demonstrated success with the 7×2 variant, reinforcing confidence in its ability to return to flight within six months.