NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has high praise for Blue Origin. Speaking Wednesday, he said the company’s response to the New Glenn explosion in late May is “almost beyond impressive.”
Blue Origin lost its only operational launch pad when the New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire test on May 28. The lightning tower and the massive transporter-erector were both destroyed. But instead of rebuilding the same pad, Blue Origin is taking a different approach.
CEO Dave Limp shared new details this week. The company will use cranes to lift the integrated rocket stages onto the launch mount, skipping the long process of building a new transporter-erector. They released a video showing how it would work.
NASA has a lot riding on Blue Origin’s return to flight. The agency needs the Mk. 1 lander for dozens of cargo missions to the Moon and the Mk. 2 lander for carrying astronauts. Both depend on New Glenn launching.
Isaacman says there’s time. “We’ve got time into 2027 before we’re getting nervous.” But he also says NASA is studying alternatives, including SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and ULA’s Vulcan, just in case.
