CAPE CANAVERAL, FL — Blue Origin, the aerospace giant founded by Jeff Bezos, is stepping back up to the plate for another attempt to launch its colossal 98-meter (321-foot) New Glenn rocket.
Ground teams at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are now targeting a liftoff from Launch Complex 36 (LC-36) on Thursday, Nov. 13. The 88-minute launch window is scheduled to open at 2:57 p.m. EST (1957 UTC).
A Week of Frustrating Scrubs
The path to the pad has been blocked by a confluence of rare and frustrating obstacles:
- Wednesday’s Scrub (Space Weather): The second attempt was halted due to intense solar activity. A trio of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun created a high probability of strong geomagnetic storms, which posed unacceptable risks to the rocket’s navigation and communication systems.
- عSunday’s Scrub (Range & Systems): The initial attempt was thwarted by a mix of issues, including poor weather, a ground systems issue at the pad, and an errant cruise ship that strayed into the maritime “keep-out zone,” violating safety protocols.
What is the ESCAPADE Mission?
If successful today, the New Glenn will send two small spacecraft (named Blue and Gold) on an 11-month journey to the Red Planet. Their primary objective is to study Mars’ magnetosphere and how the solar wind strips away its atmosphere—a crucial piece of the puzzle in understanding how Mars became a barren world.
Why This Launch Matters
This is not just a routine lift-off; it is the debut flight of New Glenn, Blue Origin’s answer to the heavy-lift commercial market.
- Reusable Booster: The massive first stage is designed to land on a sea-based platform, Jacklyn, in the Atlantic Ocean.
- Heavy Lift Capacity: It stands more than 320 feet tall, positioning it as a direct competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy.
Local Weather: Near Perfection (>95% GO)
The 45th Weather Squadron has released an overwhelmingly positive forecast, predicting a greater than 95% chance of favorable weather for liftoff during the window. Officials cited “no concerns” for standard meteorological impacts (clouds, wind, lightning) that would prevent a launch.
Space Weather: The “Moderate” Threat
The challenge lies in the space environment. Mission managers are currently tracking a “moderate” risk to the launch caused by lingering effects of intense geomagnetic storms.
- Rare G4 Watch: On Tuesday, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G4 Severe Watch tied to a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) detected earlier in the week. NOAA noted the rarity of this event, marking it as just the fourth G4 Watch issued this entire solar cycle.
- Thursday Morning Update (SPE Warning): In its latest update Thursday morning, NOAA issued an extended warning for a Solar Proton Event (SPE) (specifically, Proton 10MeV Integral Flux above 10pfu).
The Landing Attempt: Chasing History
Minutes after liftoff, all eyes will turn from the sky to the Atlantic Ocean. Approximately 375 miles (603.5 km) downrange, Blue Origin will attempt to land its massive first-stage booster, named ‘Never Tell Me the Odds’, on its recovery barge, ‘Jacklyn’.
This is a pivotal moment for the company’s reusability goals.
- The Stakes: If successful, Blue Origin will become only the second private company (after SpaceX) to perform a propulsive landing of an orbital-class rocket.
- Reuse Target: The company plans to reuse these boosters for up to 25 flights, a key factor in lowering launch costs.
- Previous Lessons: The attempt follows lessons learned from the first New Glenn booster, ‘So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance’, which failed to properly relight its BE-4 engines during a reentry burn attempt.
Payload 1: NASA’s ESCAPADE (Mars Mission)
Nestled inside the 7-meter (23 ft) payload fairings are Blue and Gold, the twin spacecraft comprising NASA’s ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission.
The Deployment & Trajectory:
- T+33 Minutes: The satellites will deploy from the ESPA ring adapter (Blue first, then Gold).
- “Kidney Bean” Orbit: Unlike direct-shot missions, these twins will enter a highly elliptical orbit “just shy of Earth escape velocity.” They will loiter in a novel “kidney bean” shaped orbit around Lagrange Point 2 (L2)—about a million miles from Earth—for roughly one year.
- Mars Injection: In Fall 2026, they will utilize an Earth gravity assist to slingshot toward the Red Planet.
- Science Goal: Upon arrival (roughly two days apart), they will study Mars’ magnetosphere to understand how space weather strips away the planet’s atmosphere over time.
Payload 2: Viasat InRange Demonstration
Riding along on the upper stage is a technology demonstration from Viasat.
- The Tech: InRange is a launch telemetry relay solution using Viasat’s L-band network. It is designed to provide launch providers with responsive, real-time data transmission during flight.
- Operation: The payload remains fixed to the upper stage and activates five minutes after the ESCAPADE deployment.
- Context: This is part of the NASA Communications Services Project (CSP), distinct from Viasat’s high-capacity Ka-band relay systems.
