New Glenn Return to Flight

A Note from CEO Dave Limp

On May 28, 2026, we experienced a significant anomaly during a New Glenn Integrated Launch Vehicle hotfire test at Launch Complex 36 in Florida. I want to provide you with an update on the remarkable recovery and rebuild efforts since that day, and our path forward to return to flight this year. 

We continue to actively investigate the cause of the anomaly. The vehicle is highly instrumented with extensive data from multiple camera angles and sensors, giving us confidence in our ability to identify and correct the root cause. Early analysis points to the aft section of the first stage. 

Now that we have more visibility into the impact, we know that we lost the lightning tower, the transporter-erector, and the hydraulic cylinders, but we caught a lot of breaks, too, and intend to make the most of them. The tank farm, Integration Facility (IF), vehicle access tower, and water tower are in good shape. As part of our pad cleanup and rebuild efforts, we've relocated Never Tell Me the Odds and three GS2 vehicles from the IF. Hardware recovery and debris removal operations are complete, and reconstruction of the pad has started.

To return to flight this year, we're not rebuilding the same pad. We're going straight to a horizontal/vertical hybrid CONOPS we had already been developing for our 9x4 New Glenn launch vehicle, using existing infrastructure, skipping a new transporter-erector, and creating a common CONOPS across two pads. 

The response from our industry partners and customers has been extraordinary. This support reinforces what we already know—what we're doing matters. From our national security and civil partners protecting our nation and returning humanity to the Moon, to commercial customers expanding global connectivity, reliable access to space has never been more critical. We take our responsibility as a launch provider very seriously, and we are committed to returning to flight with the reliability our mission demands. All of it, for the benefit of Earth. 

We're continuing to build vehicles at rate in our world-class manufacturing facilities, maintaining flight readiness, and preparing to come back stronger than before. 

Our road to space doesn't pause here. We will return to flight by the end of this year. 

It’s worth it. 

Dave-

Vehicles are mated horizontally

GS1 and GS2 are mated horizontally using existing assets and CONOPS and lifted onto the transporter for rollout to the pad

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Crane-based breakover and lift to launch pedestal

A crane performs a vertical breakover of New Glenn—the reverse of the operation already used to offload the booster from Jacklyn—and lifts the vehicle onto a refurbished launch table, where it mates to the launch vehicle hold-down ring. Umbilical connections are made between the main tower and the rocket.

Living and Working in Space

Commercial destinations in LEO (low Earth orbit) are a key focus for NASA to ensure a smooth transition from the International Space Station.

An enormous amount of work and innovation is required to build mixed-use destinations for commerce, research, tourism, and more. Blue Origin is working with NASA, innovative businesses, and universities to make this vision a reality.

Our first commercial destination concept was revealed in late 2021. Called “Orbital Reef,” it is architected as a mixed-use business park 250 miles above Earth. Blue Origin continues to achieve milestones for NASA’s Commercial LEO Development program, referred to as CLD Phase 1.