Blue Origin plans to launch New Glenn again this year after explosion

A massive explosion rocked Blue Origin's launchpad in Cape Canaveral last week, and many in the space industry assumed it could sideline the New Glenn rocket until 2027. But CEO Dave Limp says otherwise.

Speaking Monday, Limp said more of the launchpad's infrastructure survived than expected, and that a previously flown booster and three upper stages "also look good." His bottom line? "We will fly again before the end of this year."

That's a bold claim. Blue Origin currently has only one pad capable of supporting New Glenn, and the company still hasn't revealed what caused the explosion.

The stakes are high. NASA is counting on New Glenn for its Artemis moon missions, and Blue Origin recently paused its New Shepard space tourism flights for at least two years to focus on that effort.

One thing that won't change: Blue Origin will stick with the current New Glenn design rather than jumping ahead to a larger variant.