On the evening of May 28 local time, the New Glenn rocket launched by Blue Origin, a space company owned by Bezos, exploded during a test firing. Since Blue Origin is one of the participants in NASAs lunar mission, this accident could have an impact on the United States efforts to achieve a moon landing.
According to a report by the British newspaper The Independent on the 29th, aerospace analysts believe that this explosion could significantly slow down the development of Blue Origins rockets. NASAs lunar mission may then have to rely entirely on SpaceXs Starhopper rocket. Since the development of the Starhopper still faces significant challenges, NASAs lunar schedule could be further delayed.
New Glen rocket exploded – video screenshot
The New Glenn rocket is 98 meters tall. Its first stage can be reused. It is designed to compete with SpaceXs Falcon series rockets and Starship. It is one of NASAs Artemis program options. On May 26, NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract worth $188 million for the Moon Base 1 mission. This contract involves sending a lunar lander manufactured by Blue Origin onto the surface of the Moon.
On the 28th local time, Blue Origin conducted a hot test launch of its New Glenn rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. However, the rocket experienced a massive explosion during the test. Local residents reported seeing a huge fireball from a distance. The sound of the explosion could be heard up to about 24 kilometers away, and it resembled the explosion of a mini nuclear bomb.
The rocket that exploded had already flown three times before. The fourth launch was originally scheduled for next month. The hot test run is a routine procedure before the launch.
According to reports, Blue Origin is investigating the exact cause of this accident. It appears that the New Glenn rocket was completely destroyed. The launch facility that the company spent $1 billion to build may also require extensive repairs.
Bezos company has not yet stated the impact of this accident on the rocket program. However, aerospace analysts believe that this will cause Blue Origins development progress to be delayed by one year.
The rocket explosion caused damage to the launch pad. Photo from an IC camera.
According to Eric Berger, the space news editor at tech media outlet Ars Technica, Its very likely that Blue Origin will lose access to the Artemis program in the next 12 months. All those lunar base missions are now in jeopardy. Thats really unfortunate.
The Independent reported that, with Blue Origins rocket program suffering a devastating setback, NASAs Artemis mission may have to rely entirely on SpaceXs Starship. However, Starship has not yet been fully tested, and there are still many challenges in its development.
During a test flight last week, a problem occurred with the super-heavy booster of the Star Ship. As a result, it rolled into the Gulf of Mexico. On the 27th, the Federal Aviation Administration asked SpaceX to investigate the cause of the accident in order to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Until the investigation results are submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration and approved, SpaceX must suspend all subsequent test flights of the Star Ship.
This means that both of NASAs major partners in the Artemis program are now facing delays in their rocket development projects. Since both New Glenn and Starship are behind schedule, this accident could have a greater impact on NASAs lunar mission schedule.
Last September, Jim Bridenstain, who served as NASAs administrator from 2018 to 2021, warned during a hearing in the U.S. Senate: Our complex structure requires dozens of launches in a very short period of time. We rely on technologies that are still under development and are extremely challenging to implement. Additionally, we need to ensure that these technologies can be used safely by humans. Unless something changes, its highly unlikely that the United States will be able to achieve lunar landing before Chinas schedule.
The current NASA Administrator, Richard Acсiamsman, admitted that the explosion of Blue Origins New Glenn rocket could affect the Artemis program. However, NASA still needs to conduct further reviews. He said, There are no room for mistakes in spaceflight operations. Developing a new heavy-lift rocket is extremely challenging. We will work with our partners to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the accident, assess its impact on upcoming missions, and ensure that the rocket can be returned to the launch pad.
According to The Independent, due to continuous obstacles in the development of rockets and landing gear, the United States manned lunar mission has been postponed several times, with the deadline now set for 2028. China plans to carry out a manned lunar mission by 2030. Compared to the United States, Chinas lunar mission is progressing steadily, with no signs of delays.
