Blue Origin's New Glenn makes a crater-sized dent in Artemis plans

A New Glenn rocket exploded during a static firing test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36, destroying the rocket and causing extensive damage to the launchpad infrastructure. The rocket had been cleared by the FAA after a prior second-stage anomaly involving AST SpaceMobile’s Bluebird 7 satellite. The explosion occurred while the rocket was fueled for a test firing of its seven BE-4 engines. All personnel were accounted for. Substantial reconstruction of the pad is expected, and the incident will likely trigger broad fallout across related launch activities. A thorough investigation will be required before other BE-4-powered vehicles can proceed. The failure also threatens timing for NASA’s Artemis lunar missions, including Blue Origin’s planned Blue Moon Mark 1 and Mark 2 landers.

"Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a ground test last night, causing extensive damage to the launchpad and putting another dent in NASA's lunar timetable. The rocket was erected at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 36. It was undergoing pre-flight testing, having been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week following a second-stage anomaly that doomed AST SpaceMobile's Bluebird 7 satellite."

"The rocket was fueled for a static firing test of its seven BE-4 engines, during which it exploded. The force of the explosion appears to have comprehensively wrecked much of the ground infrastructure. Fortunately, all personnel were accounted for, according to company kingpin Jeff Bezos, who called the incident a "very rough day." He also posted: "We'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It's worth it.""

"The launchpad will need substantial reconstruction in addition to the loss of the rocket. A SpaceX Falcon 9 explosion on the SLC-40 pad in 2016 resulted in a gap of more than a year before the facility was used again. A quicker turnaround for New Glenn's pad would be optimistic. The fallout from the failure is likely to be broad. Even if the BE-4 engines are not the culprit, a thorough investigation will be required."

"Then there's the impact on NASA's Artemis program. Two days ago, the space agency awarded contracts to several companies, including Blue Origin, for lunar missions aimed at paving the way for a base on the Moon. The New Glenn was expected to launch the company's Blue Moon Mark 1 and Mark 2 lunar landers,"

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