New Glenn Launch Target Date Now in Late 2022
The latest New Glenn launch target date has been placed in the 4th Quarter of 2022, according to Blue Origin.
In an update posted on the company website, Blue Origin says that major progress is being made on the New Glenn launch vehicle and its Cape Canaveral facilities, and the schedule has been refined to match the demand of Blue Origin’s commercial customers. The Blue Origin team has been in contact with all of our customers to ensure this baseline meets their launch needs.
This updated maiden flight target follows the recent Space Force decision to not select New Glenn for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 Launch Services Procurement (LSP).
New Glenn is proceeding to fulfill its current commercial contracts, pursue a large and growing commercial market, and enter into new civil space launch contracts. We hope to launch NSSL payloads in the future, and remain committed to serving the U.S. national defense mission.
Recent milestones include completion of a New Glenn first stage mockup simulator, completion of a structural test facility, and hardware milestones for tanks, stage modules, and composite fairings.
In addition to program progress, more than 600 jobs have been created in the region. Blue Origin has invested more than $2.5 billion in facilities and infrastructure at all sites, including $1 billion invested in the rebuild of historic LC-36, which is nearing completion.
Named after pioneering astronaut John Glenn, New Glenn is a single configuration heavy-lift launch vehicle capable of carrying people and payloads routinely to Earth orbit and beyond. Featuring a reusable first stage built for 25 missions, New Glenn will build a road to space.
The rocket will be powered by the BE-4, the world’s most powerful liquid oxygen / liquefied natural gas engine, enabling New Glenn to launch payloads over 13 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit and 45 metric tons to low Earth orbit.
(Source: Blue Origin. Image from file)