Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket launch was pushed off again earlier today when ice was found building up on one of the lines related to the hydraulic systems.
At 3:09 a.m. EST, Blue Origin stated:
We’re standing down on today’s launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue that will take us beyond our launch window. We’re reviewing opportunities for our next launch attempt.
As a result, the new launch date is set for Thursday, January 16.
In the meantime, watch for the launch on Wednesday of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. This mission will deliver 10 science and technology payloads to the Moon, including
- testing regolith sample collection,
- Global Navigation Satellite System abilities,
- radiation tolerant computing, and
- lunar dust mitigation.
Firefly Aerospace notes:
Blue Ghost will spend approximately 45 days in transit to the Moon, allowing ample time to conduct health checks on each subsystem and begin payload science. Blue Ghost will then land in Mare Crisium and operate payloads for a complete lunar day (about 14 Earth days). Following payload operations, Blue Ghost will capture imagery of the lunar sunset and provide critical data on how lunar regolith reacts to solar influences during lunar dusk conditions. The lander will then operate for several hours into the lunar night.
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