Blue Origin, an aerospace company which was founded by Jeff Bezos, a billionaire and head of Amazon (e-commerce giant) has postponed its New Shepard rocket launch, the first in 15 months. The decision was made after the last-minute ground system issue. The launch was named NS-24, which was supposed to carry 33 science and research payloads and other cargo, and it is now scheduled for Tuesday.
Initial Launch Attempt: What went wrong?
The launch was initially set for December 18 at 9:30 a.m. EST (8:00 p.m. IST) from Blue Origin's West Texas site, and it faced an hour delay due to cold temperatures. Later, the mission was scrubbed ultimately, because of a ground system issue.
The postponed launch window was announced on Twitter
Blue Origin has announced the delay in launch via Twitter, where the company wrote, "We're scrubbing #NS24 today due to a ground system issue the team is troubleshooting. Our next #NS24 launch window opens tomorrow, December 19, at 10:37 AM CST / 16:37 UTC."
Recent challenges
The mission marks Blue Origin's return to launches after a setback which took place in September 2022, where a research mission failed. The New Shepard's reusable first-stage booster experienced serious trouble seconds after launch, which led to a crash.
An investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) attributed the mishap to the structural failure of an engine nozzle which was caused by higher-than-expected temperatures.
FAA Instructions and Corrective Actions
Following the incident, the FAA instructed the company to implement 21 corrective actions, which included redesigning engine and nozzle components to make 0rganizational changes.
The FAA has also emphasized Blue Origin which must address all the safety and regulatory requirements before proceeding with the launch of the next New Shepard.
Upcoming Launch Details
The NS-24 mission reportedly aims to carry a variety of payloads to space, which includes science and research experiments. The launch has been rescheduled on Tuesday which represents Blue Origin's commitment towards addressing challenges, continuing its space exploration initiatives and ensuring safety.
The company can successfully navigate the challenges which will further be closely monitored, considering the importance of space missions and the Bezos-owned company’s aspirations for future launches.
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Inputs from IANS
