Repairs have been slow following an explosion earlier this year.
Blue Origin made waves earlier this year after a New Glenn rocket exploded on its launch pad in May 2026. This issue during a hot test caused significant damage to the company’s infrastructure in Florida, which delayed it from further activity. Shortly after the incident, Blue Origin’s CEO claimed that repairs would be completed soon and that the next launch would occur before the end of the year. According to an internal memo from CEO Dave Limp, however, that timeline has been pushed back. The next rocket launch is now only expected in January 2027. Financial Times first reported on this development.
The memo suggests that the launch pad’s vehicle access tower has been repaired and re-stacked, and the launch bridge has been restored. Limp credits weather issues for the fixes happening more slowly than hoped. “Your collective work on our return to flight has been nothing short of remarkable,” he wrote. “In just six months, Team Blue accomplished what many thought would take years.”
The company, owned by Jeff Bezos, is on the verge of expanding its footprint in space notably when it is cleared for launch again. Blue Origin won a contract from NASA in September to build a telecommunications network for Mars. Its New Glenn rockets are also planned to carry more equipment into space to support the Amazon Leo satellite broadband service.