Blue Origin's New Glenn heavy-lift rocket and its NASA payload bound for Mars now have a tentative launch date. x.com/blueorigin/status/1827079568470995106″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:said;elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”> On Friday, it was announced that the maiden flight will not occur before Oct. 13, and that it will help NASA study the effects of the solar wind on the atmosphere of Mars. This will be the first time New Glenn has flown in its development phase, and the date fits perfectly with the window of opportunity for travel to Mars, which occurs roughly every two years based on planetary alignments. That launch window opens Sept. 29 and runs through mid-October, according to NASA. .
The mission will lift off from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA's twin spacecraft for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (Escapade) missions x.com/RocketLab/status/1825720125942825075″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:arrived in Florida;elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”> on August 19 to begin preparations and integration with the launch vehicle.
Now the pressure is really on Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, to get New Glenn ready on time. On Wednesday, the company recently suffered two factory failures that resulted in hardware damage for its second and third New Glenn flights. However, a spokesperson told the publication that it is still on track for this year's inaugural launch.
