CCSFS Archives - Page 11 of 16

January 13, 2025

Technical Issues Dog New Glenn’s First Launch Attempt, Forcing a Scrub

and that's just what Blue Origin did this morning. — New Glenn stood like a beacon in the night, with excess propellant being burned off as the vehicle stood on LC-36 on January 13, 2025
Photo: Charles Boyer, ToT

Blue Origin’s initial attempt to launch their 320-foot New Glenn for the first time did not go as planned this morning, as technical issues repeatedly forced pushbacks in the planned T-0 time, and finally resulted in a scrub for the morning as engineers were forced to call a scrub towards the end of the launch window.

Blue Origin has not announced the next New Glenn launch attempt, which remains upright at the Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket and its payload is safe and a new attempt may come as soon as overnight tonight, or in two days after SpaceX launches Falcon 9 with the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Mission 1 & Hakuto-R M2 “Resilience” mission from LC-39A early Wednesday morning.

Jetty Park Pier was filled with hundreds of spectators awaiting New Glenn’s maiden launch.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Tot

Blue Origin has not officially announced the reasons behind the scrub, but seemingly informed rumors of an APU (Auxillary Power Unit) operating outside of its specifications were echoing up and down the beaches as spectators waited for the launch.

Weather Is A Concern For Tuesday Morning

One aspect of Blue Origin’s decision whether or not to try launching New Glenn may come down to weather: the 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45 has posted a new forecast this morning that is somewhat pessimistic:

The 45th Weather Squadron released this forecast on Monday January 13th at around 3AM after Blue Origin officially scrubbed the New Glenn launch attempt.
Retrieved January 13, 2025 0900

Overcast skies, rain showers and higher than acceptable winds are forecast for the Space Coast overnight, causing the 45th to predict only a 30% chance of the range being within acceptable weather conditions.

Given the fact that New Glenn has not yet flown, that it takes a long time to fuel (around five hours) to fuel and that the weather may not be very cooperative this evening, it would be no surprise if Blue Origin demurs from an attempt this evening, choosing to wait another two days until the weather turns in their favor. That would also afford Blue Origin’s engineers to further assess the data from last night’s launch attempt in order to find a path forward to launch.

This Is Not Unusual, Nor Is It Any Surprise

Before a rocket actually flies, there are tens of thousands of limits and parameters that the designers of the vehicle decide on, with all of those decisions related to best industry practices, theoretical limits, and experimental observations. While testing or simulations can provide some insight and process improvements, one thing they cannot provide is real-world data based on actual performance observed as the new rocket attempts to go to space.

Heat distortion gave a shimmery view of New Glenn as the sun set on January 12.
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

That said, decision makers and engineers tend towards erring on the side of caution before flying. It makes good common sense to do so, and conservative decision making in these matters has shown to lead to the best outcomes, especially in an all-up testing scenario like New Glenn’s first flight.

“It is better to be on the ground wishing you were flying than it is to be in the air wishing you were on the ground fixing a problem.”
Old Aviation Maxim

Tomorrow is another day, and it is a chance to eliminate any problems you know about.

That said, despite the frustrations of space aficionados and launch spectators, playing it safe with a flying can of high-explosives is always the right choice. Fly when you are ready and never before, and that’s just what Blue Origin did this morning.

Stay tuned.

January 11, 2025

It’s Launch Day For Blue Origin’s New Glenn

Heavy Seas in The Recovery Zone Force 24 Hour Delay

Blue Origin was forced to delay their attempt to launch New Glenn on its first mission until early Monday morning, due to high seas in the landing area for the first stage. The launch window opens at 1:00 AM (0600 UTC) early Monday and extends until 4:00 AM (1000 UTC) the same day.

Ten-foot seas were expected overnight Sunday in the area where Blue Origin’s recovery ship ‘Jacklyn’ and its support ship ‘Harvey Stone’ are located. Those swells were enough for the company to delay one day, when conditions in the Atlantic are expected to improve.

Weather Forecasts

The 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45 at Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is the best source for weather forecasts where launches are concerned and their latest Launch Mission Execution is the official weather forecast.

At LC-36: 90% GO

Offshore: Heavy seas in the recovery zone are expected to calm somewhat, with 5-6 seas forecast. This is down from 10-foot seas early Sunday.

That is a definite improvement for tomorrow, but concerns seem to shift to the launch site if another delay or a scrub were to occur as is noted above.

About New Glenn

Standing at approximately 98 meters (322 feet) tall, New Glenn is a two-stage rocket with an optional third stage for specific missions. The rocket’s first stage is powered by seven BE-4 engines, fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX). New Glenn’s first stage produces 3.85 million pounds of thrust, about half of Saturn V, and roughly a quarter of SpaceX’s Starship Heavy.

Stage 1 is designed for reusability, capable of landing on an ocean-based platform for refurbishment and subsequent launches.

New Glenn’s second stage is powered by two BE-3U vacuum-optimized engines,which liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as their propellant.

New Glenn’s massive payload fairing, with a diameter of 7 meters (23 feet), is one of the largest in the industry, allowing it to carry a wide variety of payloads, including satellites, cargo, and interplanetary missions when the rocket is fully operational.

New Glenn’s lift capacity is 45 metric tons (nearly 99,000 pounds) to low Earth orbit (LEO) or 13 metric tons (approximately 28,660 pounds) to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).

New Glenn’s development began before 2013 and was officially announced in 2016. The rocket is named in tribute to NASA astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth.

On its first mission will carry a prototype Blue Ring spacecraft. This mission marks the first in a series of demonstration launches necessary to achieve certification for the National Security Space Launch program.

January 10, 2025

SpaceX Planning To Build A Landing Zone Near Their Launch Pad At SLC-40

In a long expected move, documents showing that SpaceX is planning to shift operations away from Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral’s Space Force Station’s old LC-13 to an area just east of the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 have been filed.

LZ-1 and LZ-2 (as they are colloquially known in the spaceflight community) are on the site of the former Launch Complex 13 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

LC-13 was constructed in 1956 used for test launches and operational Atlas launches from 1958 to 1978, when it was shuttered. The Mobile Service Tower was demolished by a controlled explosion in 2005 for safety reasons, and the blockhouse there was demolished in 2012.

Two New Landing Pads?

Also in the works, SpaceX is planning to build a landing zone aside its launch pad at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, but current conventional wisdom assumes this will be for SpaceX’s future Starship operations.

LC-13 History

LC-13 was originally used for operational and test launches of the Atlas ICBM, and Atlas B, D, E and F missiles were also test launched from there. It was the most-used and longest-serving of the original four Atlas pads.

April 1956 – LC-13 construction started
14 April 1958 – Air Force accepted the launch complex
2 August 1958 – First of two Atlas B launches
14 April 1959 – 11 March 1960 – Thirteen Atlas D launches
15 February 1960 – Atlas Able exploded during static firing
11 October 1960 – 13 February 1962 – Fourteen Atlas E launches
10 November 1961 – Monkey “Goliath” launched on Atlas E; mission failed
9 August 1961 – One Atlas F launched
1962-1963 – Pad converted into an Atlas Agena D complex for space launches. The A-frame Mobile Service Tower was demolished and a new larger, square-shaped structure was built.
17 October 1963 – 20 July 1965 – Three VELA launches (two satellites each)
5 November 1964 – NASA Mariner 3 mission launched by an Atlas Agena
1966 – Launch complex turned over to NASA for civilian Atlas Agena D launches
6 November 1966 – 4 March 1968 – Six NASA Atlas Agena D launched; five Lunar Orbiter and one Orbiting Geophysical Observatory E
March 1968 – Returned to Air Force
6 August 1968 – 7 April 1978 – Eleven classified Atlas Agena D launches for the Air Force
7 April 1978 – Launch complex deactivated after the last launch. Supported 51 Atlas and Atlas Agena launches
6 August 2005 – Mobile Service Tower came down by a controlled explosion
June 2012 – Blockhouse demolished
February 2015 – Site leased by SpaceX to be used as a landing platform for the Falcon9 1st stage
Site renamed Landing Zone One (LZ-1)
21 December 2015 B1019 touched down during Falcon 9 flight 20
6 February 2018 Two booster touch down at LZ-1 and LZ-2 during Falcon Heavy Flight Test

Source: Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum

Atlas Agena D with Mariner 3 on the launchpad, at Cape Canaveral.
Photo: NASA — Atlas Agena D with Mariner 3 on the launchpad, at Cape Canaveral’s LC-13
Photo: NASA

August 2005 – Mobile Service Tower was demolished by a controlled explosion.
US Air Force ID 050809-F-0000X-012 — August 2005 – Mobile Service Tower was demolished by a controlled explosion at LC-13
US Air Force ID 050809-F-0000X-012

Two booster touch down at LZ-1 and LZ-2 during Falcon Heavy Flight Test on 6 February 2018.
Photo: SpaceX

LC-13’s Future

In 2023, the 2-pad launch site has been allocated to Cocoa, Florida based Vaya Space and also Phantom Space through the Department of the Air Force’s Launch Pad Allocation Strategy (LPAS), a program designed to support the commercial space market and demand at the Eastern Range.

At the time, Kevin Lowdermilk, CEO of Vaya Space said, “We are proud to be selected as one of the four companies in the first round of the Launch Pad Allocation Strategy by the Space Force and we truly appreciate their support of commercial space launch. We are pleased to call SLC-13 home.”

Rendering of the Vaya Dauntless rocket.
Graphic: Vaya Space

“Launching from SLC-13 gives Vaya Space a long-term home on the Eastern Range to support our customers’ launch needs,” added Rob Fabian, COO of Vaya Space. “We’re looking forward to many launches from there alongside our friends from Phantom Space. It’s encouraging to see a new generation of commercial space launch vehicles rise up in the footprints of the old Atlas launch vehicles the site was built to launch.”

Vaya is producing the Dauntless rocket, which is propelled by solid rocket fuel. That fuel is produced from 99% recycled post-industrial thermoplastic, and the Dauntless rocket will utilize more than 7.8 metric tons per launch. Vaya states that the spent fuel exhaust will safely break it down into non-toxic byproducts.

Timing

At this point in time, the dates for the approval, construction and eventual move of SpaceX landing operations to the new landing pad are not known.

January 10, 2025

Launch Report: SpaceX Launches Starlink 12-12 From Cape Canaveral

SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit today from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 aboard a Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 2:11 PM ET (1911 UTC) after several pushbacks in the window, presumably due to windy weather.

Today’s launch was the 997th orbital launch from Cape Canaveral.

The flight was nominal, and Booster B1067, the most experienced booster in SpaceX’s fleet, completed its 25th successful mission when it touched down offshore near The Bahamas on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions.’

Around 8.2 minutes after liftoff, Booster B1077 successfully completed its 17th mission when it touched down offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, which was positioned offshore near The Bahamas. Previously, B1067 launched previously CRS-22, CRS-25, Crew-3, Crew-4, TelkomSat-113BT, Turksat-5B, Koreasat-6A, Eutelsat HOTBIRD-F2, Galileo L13, mPOWER-A, PSN MFS, and 13 Starlink missions.

JRTI will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be offloaded and returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center for inspection and any needed refurbishment prior to its next flight.

At 8:11 into flight, Falcon 9’s second stage and the Starlink payload achieved their initial elliptical orbit.

Launch Replay

Payload

24 Starlink Mini v2 satellites, which will join Group 6 of Starlink’s orbital Internet connectivity constellation. Currently, there are over 6,900 Starlink satellites in orbit, according to Dr. Jonathon McDowell of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Starlink Mini v2 satellites being deployed. This photo was provided by SpaceX last year and was not from today’s mission.
Photo: SpaceX

Next Launch

If — and it is a big if — seas calm down offshore in the Atlantic, Blue Origin will attempt the maiden voyage of its New Glenn rocket.

Date: NET January 13, 2025
Organization: Blue Origin
Mission: NG-1
Rocket: New Glenn
Launch Site: LC-36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Window: 01:00 – 04:00 EST (0600-0900 UTC)
Payload: Blue Ring Pathfinder

January 9, 2025

High Seas In Recovery Zone Force Blue Origin To Delay New Glenn Maiden Launch At Least Two Days

New Glenn during its Integrated Static Fire earlier this month.
Photo: Blue Origin

Everything appears to be ready at the launch pad for the maiden launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, but weather offshore has forced at least a two-day delay in the company’s first launch attempt of the 320-foot tall rocket.

New Glenn Launch Update: We're shifting our NG-1 launch date to no earlier than January 12 due to a high sea state in the Atlantic where we hope to land our booster. Our three-hour window remains the same, opening Sunday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC).
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 9, 2025

Sunday’s Forecast

The ECWMF forecast model is calling for 12-foot seas overnight tonight, as Blue Origin indicates in their post on X. On Sunday morning, things aren’t predicted to improve much, with 12-14 foot seas in the general vicinity of Blue Origin’s recovery vessel, Jacklyn and its support ship, Harvey Stone.

Position of Jacklyn and Harvey Stone on January 9, 2024

The now-deleted LME from the 45th Weather Squadron corroborates what the commercial forecast models are saying. The 48 hour forecast — for Sunday morning — is also calling for high seas:

Via 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45
Retrieved 01/09/2025 07:00 am EST

For their part, the 45th will release a new LME forecast prior to Sunday’s attempt.

With those forecasts in mind, do not be surprised if Blue Origin is forced to shift New Glenn’s launch date to the right sometime over the weekend. On the other hand, it’s the weather, and it’s the ocean, two things that are well known to defy forecasts.

Stay tuned.

January 6, 2025

Launch Report: SpaceX Launches Starlink 6-71

SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit today from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 aboard a Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 3:43 PM ET (2043 UTC) after several pushbacks in the window, presumably due to windy weather from an approaching cold front expected to arrive this evening on the Space Coast.

Around 8.2 minutes after liftoff, Booster B1077 successfully completed its 17th mission when it touched down offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, which was positioned offshore near The Bahamas. Previously, previously launched Crew-5, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, Optus-X, Immarsat I6-F2, GPS III-6, NG-20, and nine Starlink missions.

JRTI will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be offloaded and returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility for inspection and any needed refurbishment prior to its next flight.

At 8:39 into flight, Falcon 9’s second stage and the Starlink payload achieved their initial elliptical orbit, which was rounded by a short second burn at the 54:03 mark of the mission. Payload deployment was one hour, five minutes and twelve seconds after liftoff, marking a successful end to SpaceX’s second mission in 2025 from the Eastern Range.

Deployment of 24 @Starlink satellites confirmed
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 6, 2025

Payload

24 Starlink Mini v2 satellites, which will join Group 6 of Starlink’s orbital Internet connectivity constellation. Currently, there are over 6,900 Starlink satellites in orbit, according to Dr. Jonathon McDowell of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

SpaceX plans to launch Starlink 12-11 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

Date: NET January 8, 2025
Organization: SpaceX
Mission: Starlink 12-11
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center
Launch Window: 10:24 AM – 2:55 PM EST
Payload: Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s ISP constellation.

January 3, 2025

Launch Report: SpaceX Launches Thuraya-4 For Space 42 /

SpaceX launched the Thuraya-4 satellite for Yahsat / Space 42 this evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 8:27 PM EST (0027 UTC) on a cool evening on the Space Coast.

Tonight’s launch was the first from the Eastern Range in 2025 in what is expected to be another record year for launches from the combined facilities of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center.

Around 8.25 minutes after lifting off, Booster B1073 completed its 20th mission when it touched down on ASDS ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’, which was stationed offshore downrange. ASOG and B1073 will now return to Port Canaveral for offloading and preparation for B1073’s next flight.

The second stage and payload achieved its initial orbit at about eight minutes into the flight, and that orbit was rounded about twenty-eight minutes later, with a successful payload deployment shortly after the 35th minute of the mission.

Deployment of Thuraya 4 confirmed pic.twitter.com/u8Svi3B9yt
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 4, 2025

Payload

Thuraya 4-NGS is a communication satellite built by Airbus UAE-based Al Yah Satellite Communications Company P.J.S.C. (Yahsat). It is built on the all-electric Airbus Eurostar-Neo Platform and will incorporate a large 12-meter L-band antenna and a payload capable of processing providing 3200 channels over a large number of spot beams.

Thuraya is the mobile satellite services subsidiary of the UAE-based Al Yah Satellite Communications Company P.J.S.C. (Yahsat), a public company and subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company. Established in 1997, Thuraya is the UAE’s first home-grown satellite operator.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

SpaceX is planning to launch Starlink 6-71 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center NET Monday, January 6, 2025. The launch window opens at 11:44 AM EST (1644 UTC) and closes at 4:15 PM (2115 UTC) the same day.

Date: NET January 6, 2025
Organization: SpaceX
Mission: Starlink 6-71
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Window: 11:43 AM – 4:15 PM EST
Payload: Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s ISP constellation.

A relatively large group of spectators lined the banks of the Indian River in Titusville to view tonight’s launch.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

January 2, 2025

SpaceX Thuraya 4-NGS Opens A Busy Launch Weekend Tomorrow

SpaceX Falcon 9 launching BlueBird 1-5 on September 12, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

2025 is here, and it won’t take long for the Eastern Range to open its new year for the facility: SpaceX plans to launch the Thuraya 4-NGS satellite for UAE based Yahsat on Friday evening, while preparations for Blue Origin to the fly New Glenn on its maiden launch continue apace, with a target date of early Monday morning.

Quick Glance At The Year To Come

There were 93 launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in 2024, with the bulk of those launches being SpaceX / Falcon 9 missions. In 2025, Elon Musk said “Probably [greater than] 180 Falcon launches in 2025” and the bulk of those will be from here on the Space Coast.

United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno said ULA has 20 missions on its 2025 manifest. Payload readiness will be the apparent limiting limiting factor, according to Bruno, and like Falcon 9, the bulk of those missions will launch from the company’s Eastern Range launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41.

Blue Origin will also add to the launch count, with several New Glenn missions slated to lift off from LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The current target for the year has not been stated by the company, and much depends on the success of the first flew flights of the new rocket.

All in all, it is fair to say that like 2024, the record for the number of launches from Florida will be broken come year’s end.

SpaceX

SpaceX has two launches on the schedule for this weekend.

Thuraya 4-NGS – Friday 3 January – 08:27 PM – 12:53 AM EST
Starlink 6-71 – Sunday 5 January – 12:10PM – 4:41 PM EST

Thuraya 4

A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off carrying the GSAT-20 mission on November 18, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

Thuraya 4-NGS is a communication satellite built by Airbus UAE-based Al Yah Satellite Communications Company P.J.S.C. (Yahsat). It is built on the all-electric Airbus Eurostar-Neo Platform and will incorporate a large 12-meter L-band antenna and a payload capable of processing providing 3200 channels over a large number of spot beams.

Thuraya is the mobile satellite services subsidiary of the UAE-based Al Yah Satellite Communications Company P.J.S.C. (Yahsat), a public company and subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company. Established in 1997, Thuraya is the UAE’s first home-grown satellite operator.

Formed in 2008 and publicly traded on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Yahsat serves customers in 150 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Asia and Australia. They offer voice, data, video and internet services for broadcast, Internet, and VSAT users for both private and government organizations.

Thuraya 4 rendering, released by Yahsat.

Thuraya 4 will be aboard Falcon 9 and launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Via Space Launch Delta 45 of the US Air Force on 1/1/2025

Starlink 6-71

SpaceX plans to add to its ever-growing Starlink constellation with the Starlink 6-71 mission. There are around 6,800 Starlink satellites in orbit currently, with several thousand more planned. The mission will carry another batch of 20-23 Starlink Mini V2 units to join the company’s Group 6 band of satellites.

Starlink launching in 2023 from SLC-40 in Cape Canaveral. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Falcon 9 will be again be the workhorse for this mission, also planned to launch from SLC-40 on Sunday afternoon, with the window opening at 12:10 PM EST.

Neither launch has been officially announced by SpaceX, so stay tuned.

Blue Origin

After completing its integrated vehicle hotfire test and wet dress rehearsal successfully, Blue Origin appears to be planning to launch New Glenn from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the wee hours of Monday morning with the launch window opening at 01:00 AM EST on January 6th.

Following the hotfire, Blue Origin’s prime investor and driving force, Jeff Bezos said succinctly, “Next stop launch.”

This will be the first flight of the 320-foot tall rocket for the company. Aboard will be test components for Blue Ring.

Despite the late (or early?) hour that Blue Origin plans to launch New Glenn, this is likely one of the launches of the year from the Eastern Range. That’s because New Glenn is large, and mighty with 3.8 million pounds of thrust coming from seven Blue Origin BE-4 engines. This promises to be a loud rocket, and one well worth watching.

The launch window extends from 01:00 AM EST (0600Z) to 04:45 AM (1045Z) the same day.

December 29, 2024

Launch Report: The Third Time Is The Charm For SpaceX and Astranis

SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off at the stroke of midnight December 29th. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

After two previous delays, including an abort-at-ignition and a booster swap, SpaceX launched the ‘From One To Many’ payload for Astranis tonight from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral aboard Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 12:00 AM EST (05:00 UTC) under broken skies on the Space Coast.

Around 8.5 minutes later, Falcon 9 Booster B1083 completed its seventh mission successfully when it touched down on ASDS ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’ stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean. ASOG and B1083 will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be offloaded and returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center for inspection and preparation for its eighth flight.

At 3:02 AM EST, Astranis CEO said, “Great news– we have acquired and established command authority over all four spacecraft.”

Payload

Four Astranis MicroGEO Block 2 communications satellite were delivered to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Once they have been deployed, they will travel to their final orbital locations under their own power.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

SpaceX is planning to launch Starlink 12-6 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center NET Monday, December 30, 2024. The launch window opens at 12:00 AM EST (0500 UTC) and closes at 3:28 AM the same day.

Date: NET December 30, 2024
Organization: SpaceX
Mission: Starlink 12-6
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center
Launch Window: 12:00 – 03:28 AM EST
Payload: Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s ISP constellation.

December 28, 2024

Blue Origin Completes Hot-Fire Test, Receives FAA License For Launch

Blue Origin New Glenn on the launch mount at LC-36. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville.

Blue Origin had a very good day on Friday: they completed their first-ever integrated static fire of New Glenn, after having received a five-year license for New Glenn launch and recovery operations for Cape Canaveral.m

Launch License

An FAA launch license was perhaps the last major regulatory milestone for Blue Origin in its launch campaign for the New Glenn maiden launch. Late Friday afternoon, the FAA announced that it had granted the company the necessary legal clearance to fly the vehicle:

Blue Origin’s Launch License Download

“The FAA is committed to enabling the success of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry without compromising public safety,” said the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Kelvin B. Coleman. “By working closely with Blue Origin, the FAA issued this new launch license well in advance of the statutory deadline for the historic maiden flight of New Glenn.”

Under the license, Blue Origin can conduct orbital missions from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida with the New Glenn first stage landing on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. It is valid for five years.

Blue Completes First Static Fire Of New Glenn

In recent weeks, New Glenn has mostly been vertical at Launch Complex 36 as Blue Origin ran tests, honed procedures and rehearsed the terminal countdown of the rocket before its first flight. Those tests culminated Friday when launch controllers went all the way down to T-0 and briefly ignited New Glenn’s seven BE-4 main engines all together for the first time.

New Glenn during its integrated static fire
Photo: Blue Origin

Blue Origin stated in a press release that the data obtained during testing will be utilized to finalize day-of-launch timelines, confirm expected performance, and correlate models to real-world test data.

“This is a monumental milestone and a glimpse of what’s just around the corner for New Glenn’s first launch,” said Jarrett Jones, SVP, New Glenn. “Today’s success proves that our rigorous approach to testing–combined with our incredible tooling and design engineering–is working as intended.”

The tanking test included a full run-through of the terminal count sequence, testing the hand-off authority to and from the flight computer, and collecting fluid validation data. The first stage (GS1) tanks were filled and pressed with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX), and the second stage (GS2) with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen–both to representative NG-1 set points.

The formal NG-1 Wet Dress Rehearsal demonstrated the final launch procedures leading into the hotfire engine run. All seven engines performed nominally, firing for 24 seconds, including at 100% thrust for 13 seconds. The test also demonstrated New Glenn’s autogenous pressurization system, which self-generates gases to pressurize GS1’s propellant tanks.

Blue Origin, September 27, 2024

According to Blue Origin, “The campaign met all objectives and marks the final major test prior to launch.”

New Glenn is now expected to launch on January 6, 2025.