The explosion of the New Glenn heavy-lift rocket could delay Blue Origin's plans to participate in NASA's lunar exploration program by a year, Politico writes.
The publication emphasizes that the explosion at the Cape Canaveral launch site in Florida “threatens to delay President Donald Trump's ambitious plans to return American astronauts to the moon by 2028 and build a base there“. Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket was expected to deliver the Blue Moon lander to Earth's natural satellite.
According to the media, the repair of damage caused by the explosion at the launch pad "will likely take months". “It is not clear how the explosion will affect Blue Origin's operations, but a former NASA official believes that the damage to the launch pad could delay the company's contribution to the lunar mission by a year”, the publication emphasizes.
The New Glenn heavy-lift rocket exploded during a propulsion test. Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos said that the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.
The company informed X that an emergency situation occurred during the test. No Blue Origin employees were injured in the explosion.