NASA chief praises Blue Origin’s progress after failed launch

“They’re making great progress,” Isaacman said of Blue Origin. “So plan A is still launching Mk. 1 at New Glenn. They’re very committed to getting back into the business of launching New Glenn before the end of the year. And Plan A is looking a lot better today than it was weeks ago, just based on how the Blue Origin team is going.”

NASA considering its options

However, he added that he strategically wanted NASA to study other launch vehicles as well Endurance mission and Blue Origin’s lander for Artemis III. Options include SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rockets or United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rockets.

So NASA is closely monitoring Blue’s recovery. Isaacman said he receives daily updates from his team.

“We have until 2027 before we panic,” Isaacman said. “When we start tracking in mid-2027, that affects the Artemis III mission, and for those that don’t have space, that’s going to have a big impact.”

Cranes enter this picture

Also Wednesday, Limp he gave more about the company’s plans to return to flight.

He wrote: “We are continuing to investigate the cause of the problem. The vehicle has a wealth of information from multiple camera angles and sensors, which gives us confidence that we can identify and fix the cause.”

During the test, Blue Origin dropped the lightning platform at the launch site and the main transporter-erector, which moved the rocket from the docking station to the launch pad and lifted it straight up for liftoff.

To speed up the return to flight, Limp said, the company is not rebuilding the same pad and is skipping the construction of a new pilot-erector (which would take longer). The company released a video showing how its engineers see this in action. It involves the use of a crane to lift the first and second layers of the composite to the starting point. Upon arrival, and after a pre-flight check-in, a payment slip is placed on top of the vehicle prior to take-off.

Isaacman praised Blue Origin for being so transparent when returning to flight, noting the astronauts’ strong interest in the topic.