Blue Origin Delays New Glenn Again—and It’s a Bigger Setback Than It Seems

After getting a momentum last year, the Rocket Jeff Bezos project hit another obstacle. The second trip from the Glenn of Blue Origen from early spring to late August, with the company’s original plan to launch its giant missile eight times in 2025. Unlike the lost launch targets, the last New Glen delay puts the Kuper project – the Amazon -owned internet satellite – the risk of losing an important operating license.

This week, Dave Limp, CEO of Blue Origen, announced that the second New Glenn mission is targeting any time earlier August 15 to launch it. The heavy missile was launched for the first time on January 16, and while the second stage of New Glen reached its target orbit, the supporter exploded during the landing (it was supposed to perform a dominant decline). The appearance of New Glen for the first time in a long time, not only to compete with its opponent in the industry, but eventually the satellites offered the Kuper project to the orbit. You should launch the Bezos’s Other project, Amazon, 50 % of its Internet satellites by 2026, or the company will lose its license. With the recent delay in the New Glen table, the company is pressed for time.

Amazon launched its first online Internet satellite group to the low -Earth orbit in April, tucked inside the Atlas V missile. The same missile is scheduled to launch the second fleet of the Kuiper project on June 16, but the company needs a total of 83 launch operations to form its internet constellation of 3,200 satellites and will not all plan all of the V. Glin.

The 2020 license order from the Federal Communications Committee states that Amazon must launch and operate half of the satellites by 2026, with the launch of the entire Constellation to the Earth orbit by 2029.

The company was keen to enter the BroadBand satellite market, which is currently dominated by Spacex. Unlike Blue Orige, Rocket’s Elon Musk Falcon 9 reliable to send groups of Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, launching more than 7000 so far. For the blue origin, on the other hand, it is a little choices when it comes to launching vehicles capable of raising Kuper satellites to orbit. Amazon internet moons is larger than that published by Spacex. “The fact of the matter is that the heavy launch capacity is still somewhat restricted, and I think it will be for the coming years,” Limp said during an interview with the Washington Post.

For this reason, New Glenn is very important for Amazon to achieve its goals. In the wake of the appearance of New Glen, the Blue Origin said it had discovered seven corrective procedures after the investigation imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Its next launch in August may be the only time that a missile flying this year, according to Ars Technica reports. An unknown source told ARS Technica that until the launch in August is unrealistic, New Glenn is not ready to go out until September.

The delay in the NEW Glenn’s progress also may also indicate a delay for the Amazon Kuper project, which would restore the internet constellation back more than that of its Spacex rival if it is forced to apply for a new license. The two companies are not less than their targets just as the American administration is looking for a substitute for Spacex – not only its missiles, but also its internet constellation. This would have been the perfect time for Bezos to have a long -term rival. Instead, it is another lost opportunity.