Blue Origin cancels second launch of New Glenn

The second launch of Blue Origin’s partially reusable New Glenn rocket was canceled Sunday due to adverse weather conditions, delaying NASA’s latest mission to Mars. Commercial space company owned by Jeff Bezos Announced the upcoming launch window The launch will be attempted from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida “no later than” Wednesday, November 12, between 2:50 PM and 4:17 PM ET.

This is a significant launch for the giant 320-foot rocket, which is tasked with sending NASA satellites to space. Double escape (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) is exploring space – the first mission bound for Mars since NASA launched its Perseverance and Ingenuity rovers in 2020 to explore the surface of the red planet. The ESCAPADE satellites are expected to reach Mars orbit in 2027, where they will measure the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere.

This will also be Blue Origin’s latest attempt to land New Glenn’s reusable first-stage propulsion vehicle, which, like SpaceX’s Falcon rocket boosters, is designed to land vertically on an offshore platform after launch. While Blue Origin New Glenn has been launched successfully For the first time in January After several delaysThe booster was lost during landing. A successful launch and landing would help Blue Origin establish itself as a deep space launch provider capable of competing with established competitors like SpaceX and United Launch Alliance.

Blue Origin says it worked with the FAA to choose its latest launch window, after apparently receiving a waiver New FAA rules Which prohibits commercial missile launches between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. This emergency order went into effect on November 10 to relieve air traffic congestion during the ongoing government shutdown. If all goes as planned, a live webcast of New Glenn’s second flight will begin 20 minutes before launch on Wednesday.