The company is targeting a return to flight before the end of 2026 after the May 28 launchpad explosion damaged key ground equipment at Cape Canaveral.
Blue Origin said the May 28 launchpad explosion involving its New Glenn rocket was traced to the main oxygen valve on one of the vehicle’s seven BE-4 engines, prompting a supportive response from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as the company works toward a return to flight before the end of 2026. Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said recovered hardware and inspections identified the valve as the starting point of the anomaly and that component-level and engine hotfire tests have helped define the fix. The company is making small valve modifications that can be retrofitted to existing engines, with updated hardware expected by the end of August while engineers complete fault-tree analysis. The blast occurred during a preflight engine-firing test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, destroying the rocket and damaging a lightning tower and the transporter-erector used to move and raise the 321-foot vehicle, though no injuries were reported. The finding aligns with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman’s July comment that investigators had "honed in already on a potential engine issue." The issue has broader implications because United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket also uses BE-4 engines, making the investigation significant in a constrained U.S. launch market. The setback followed New Glenn’s unsuccessful third mission in April, when a second-stage failure left an AST SpaceMobile satellite in the wrong orbit. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered an investigation, accepted nine corrective actions and said New Glenn can return once Blue Origin meets licensing requirements. New Glenn is also central to Blue Origin’s challenge to SpaceX, with NASA planning Blue Moon lunar missions under Artemis and Amazon.com Inc. booking New Glenn and Vulcan launches for its Leo broadband constellation, a Starlink rival.