Blue Origin, the aerospace manufacturer founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, encountered a setback in its plans to launch the New Shepard mission rocket on Monday. The mission, designated NS-24, was slated to be a significant milestone for Blue Origin.
It would have marked its return to flight after a 15-month hiatus. The last launch was in September 2022, which unfortunately failed.
The company announced the mission scrub on X, citing ground issues as the primary reason for the delay. The launch window, scheduled to open at 10:30 am ET near Van Horn, Texas, was abandoned only 14 minutes after it commenced.
Initially, Blue Origin’s space tourism program offered a brief orbit experience for wealthy individuals, costing more than $25 million. The journey traveling at the speed of sound past the Karman line, the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space .
New Shepard Mission Details
This mission held special significance for Blue Origin as it aimed to carry 33 science and research payloads for various clients, including NASA and several US universities.
