Blue Origin pushes next New Glenn flight to January 2027 following launchpad repairs

Blue Origin has postponed its next New Glenn rocket launch to January 2027, according to an internal staff memo from CEO Dave Limp. The delay follows an incident in May 2026, when a New Glenn vehicle exploded during a hot-test on its Florida launchpad. Although founder Jeff Bezos previously suggested the rocket could fly as soon as late December, the newly revised window pushes the target out by roughly 10 days. [2][3]

Limp stated that weather challenges slowed repair operations at the Florida facility. Despite the setbacks, the launchpad's Vehicle Access Tower has been repaired and restacked, and crews have restored the launch bridge. In his memo, Limp praised employees for completing recovery tasks in six months that outside observers believed would require years. [2]

The return to flight will be critical for Blue Origin's expanding manifest. The rocket is slated to loft satellites for Amazon's Leo broadband network, an effort disrupted by the May accident. Blue Origin also secured a NASA contract in September to build a telecommunications network for Mars. [2][3]