Blue Origin Vows to Fly Again This Year After Explosion as NASA Rushes Support
After last month's catastrophic explosion of its New Glenn rocket, Blue Origin says it will resume flights before year-end, while NASA provides full backing to salvage moon program deadlines.
Blue Origin's CEO Dave Limp posted on X on June 1 that the company will fly again before the end of the year, using its Latin motto “Gradatim Ferociter” (Step by step, ferociously). This follows a spectacular launchpad explosion last month that destroyed the pioneering New Glenn rocket and severely damaged the surrounding area.
At a NASA event in Houston, John Couluris, Blue Origin's senior vice-president of lunar permanence, confirmed that the investigation and pad cleanup are making excellent progress, and that the response from NASA, partners, and customers has been extraordinary.
The explosion was seen by analysts as a significant setback to NASA's ambitious moon plans. Just two days earlier, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that Blue Origin had won a contract for the first of three construction missions for the agency's $20 billion moon base project. Isaacman promised a “whole government response,” deploying subject matter experts to help identify the root cause and rebuild the pad.
Urgency stems from Artemis III, planned for late 2027, which would test Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander alongside SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System. Artemis IV, scheduled for 2028, aims for the first crewed moon landing since 1972. Blue Moon is designed to fly only on New Glenn, but NASA is reportedly urging Blue Origin to consider adapting it for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. Isaacman emphasized that NASA is “laser-focused on the lander” and is decoupling it from the rocket and pad.
Limp noted that pad damage is less severe than initially feared: the propellant farm, oxygen, liquid hydrogen, and LNG tanks are all in good shape, as is the water tower. The main support tower is damaged but can be repaired in place rather than dismantled.
Space experts urge patience. John Logsdon, founder of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, cited historical precedents like the Apollo I fire, which killed three astronauts but did not halt the program. He noted that Jeff Bezos has pledged whatever money is needed.
Eric Berger, senior space editor at Ars Technica, called the return-to-flight timeline “aggressive,” adding that the main challenge will be finding a launch site.
