Blue Origin launchpad damaged in rocket explosion may not be restored until 2028, NASA's Isaacman says

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman revealed on Monday that the recovery of the launchpad damaged by a Blue Origin rocket explosion may take a substantial amount of time, potentially extending until 2028. The incident occurred during a hot-fire test of the New Glenn rocket at a Space Force facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, when the rocket erupted into flames last Thursday. Fortunately, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin, confirmed that all personnel were unharmed and expressed a commitment to rebuilding the launchpad, referring to the day as a "very rough day." In an interview at CNBC's CEO Council Summit, Isaacman mentioned that a 2028 recovery timeline is "within the realm" of possibility. He emphasized the importance of supporting Blue Origin's success and mentioned the need to conduct a thorough root cause analysis to identify what went wrong. Following the incident, Isaacman, Bezos, and Blue Origin's CEO, Dave Limp, inspected the launchpad and spoke with employees. Limp later shared on X that the company has regained some access to the launchpad and is actively developing a rebuilding plan. Blue Origin has several contracts with NASA, particularly related to the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon by 2028. The company is set to launch an uncrewed Blue Moon lander, known as MK1, on top of the New Glenn rocket later this year. Isaacman pointed out that launching the lander will necessitate a rocket capable of carrying a significant payload, likening it to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy capabilities. With only one New Glenn launchpad available, the explosion represents a significant setback for Blue Origin, which is also working on a launchpad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California that is still under development. Isaacman noted that, historically, the recovery of damaged launchpads has required considerable time, and even with rapid efforts, the process will be lengthy. The repercussions of the explosion extend beyond Blue Origin to its other clients, including Amazon. The company was scheduled to transport 48 satellites for Amazon's new Leo internet-from-space initiative this week as part of multiple upcoming missions. Amazon faces a Federal Communications Commission deadline to deploy a significant portion of its satellite constellation by next month and aims to launch its Leo service for commercial customers later this year, directly competing with SpaceX's Starlink. Additionally, AST SpaceMobile relies on Blue Origin for some of its rocket launches. Following the incident, Blue Origin's stock fell over 6% on Monday, adding to a nearly 17% decline on Friday.