COCOA BEACH, Fla. — As is often the case in the final days before a new rocket’s debut, it all depends on the weather. So Blue Origin is just waiting for clear skies and clear seas before the giant New Glenn vehicle takes off from Florida.
After the company completed rocket integration this week and rolled the super-heavy-lift rocket to its launch site in Cape Canaveral, the focus turned to weather. Conditions at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station were favorable during early morning launch hours when rockets were available, but complications were occurring offshore.
Blue Origin is aiming to recover the first stage of the New Glenn rocket, and the Atlantic ocean states are not suitable for a first attempt to capture the first stage booster with a drone ship. The company has already abandoned one launch attempt scheduled for Friday, January 10th at 1 a.m. (6 a.m. ET).
Things have improved a bit since then, but on Saturday evening, company launch officials canceled a second attempt scheduled for 1 a.m. ET on Sunday. The new launch time is now 1 a.m. ET on Monday, January 13, when sea conditions are expected to improve. The launch time is 3 hours. The company will provide a webcast of the proceedings at this link starting one hour before the launch.
In search of a normal flight
It will take several hours to fuel the New Glenn rocket, according to the mission schedule Blue Origin shared on Saturday. Hydrogen loading of the second stage begins 4.5 hours before liftoff, followed by the booster stage and second stage liquid oxygen four hours later, and methane for the booster stage for the remaining 3.5 hours. Refueling must be completed approximately one hour before takeoff.
