Blue Origin's New Glenn Launch Delayed Due to Technical Issues

Blue Origin postponed the launch of its New Glenn rocket due to technical issues on Monday. The 320-foot rocket, set to transport a satellite, faced a countdown halt, requiring fuel drainage and more troubleshooting time. Initial delays were due to rough sea conditions threatening booster recovery.

Blue Origin has postponed the inaugural launch of its massive New Glenn rocket, following technical difficulties encountered early Monday. The rocket, standing at 320 feet, was scheduled to take off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station before dawn, carrying a prototype satellite. However, launch controllers identified an unspecified issue just minutes before liftoff, resulting in the countdown being halted. This necessitated the immediate draining of fuel from the rocket.

A new launch date has yet to be determined, with Blue Origin stating more time is needed to address the problem. This test flight has already been delayed due to rough seas, which posed a risk to the company's plan for a first-stage booster landing on a floating platform in the Atlantic.

The New Glenn rocket is named in honor of John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, and is significantly taller than the company's New Shepard rocket. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who established Blue Origin 25 years ago, participated in the countdown from Mission Control near NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Despite the setback, Bezos expressed optimism, stating, "we're going to pick ourselves up and keep going."

(With inputs from agencies.)