“Rocket Lab”

New Glenn NG-2 standing ready to launch on November 9 with omnipresent gray clouds lurking in the background. They would soon bring rain. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
New Glenn NG-2 standing ready to launch on November 9 with omnipresent gray clouds lurking in the background. They would soon bring rain. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
New Glenn NG-2 standing ready to launch on November 9 with omnipresent gray clouds lurking in the background. They would soon bring rain. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Blue Origin called off the highly anticipated first launch of its New Glenn rocket on Sunday afternoon, citing poor weather conditions at Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 36. It was a day when the sun and rain alternated, and sometimes the sun would stay out while it was raining: call it sunny rain. That proved to be unacceptable to the launch team, and a scrub was called just at the end of the launch window, around 4:15 PM ET.

Blue Origin will recycle and reset, planning for the next attempt for a launch on Wednesday afternoon. The window opens at 2:50 PM ET, and extends to 4:17 the same day.

This Launch Had Everything

It’s rare to say that a launch countdown is an adventure, but this one was — it had everything: rain, then sun, then more rain, fishing boats fouling the range, then the fishing boat losing one of two of its motors and having to limp out to a safe area, and finally, once the fishermen were safely north of the exclusion area, a cruise ship ignoring the Notice to Mariners advisory and heading out into the range, temporarily fouling it in their rush to head to sea with thousands of vacationers aboard.

The first part, weather, you could follow with your own eyes if you were watching from close by. The second, boats and ships in the exclusion area, was a drama easily followed on Channel 16 of the marine band. The weather was shifting often as a steady line of storms between Titusville and Daytona Beach would move south, then drift north. The boat captains were generally cooperative and jocular. The cruise ship? Silent on the channels we were monitoring.

Blue Origin had their own water security team to help keep the range clear. They had a busy day yesterday, starting in the morning when New Glenn started its propellant load. Look closely, and you could see him checking us out closely, even though we were outside any closed areas.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Crowds were heavy, with Jetty Park and Cherie Down Park in Cape Canaveral reaching capacity despite the weather. The beaches were lined with spectators as well, with everyone looking forward to the sight of the 322-foot rocket lumbering skyward. It was not to be on this day, but few grumbles were heard from anyone.

Jetty Park Pier was lined solid with launch spectators mixed in with the press. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

At A Glance

Countdown to Window Open T–00:00:00 Opens: Nov 12, 2025, 2:50 PM
New Glenn | ESCAPADE — Launch Details
Field Details
Mission New Glenn | EscaPADE Go for Launch!
Window Opens Wednesday, 11/12/2025 2:50:00 PM
Window Closes Wednesday, 11/12/2025 4:17:00 PM
Organization Blue Origin
Location Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket New Glenn
Pad Launch Complex 36A
Status Go for Launch
Status Info Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Destination Mars Orbit
Mission Description Second flight of Blue Origin's New Glenn launch vehicle carrying the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE), a dual-spacecraft mission from University of California, Berkeley to study ion and sputtered escape from Mars. The spacecrafts' scientific goals are to understand the processes controlling the structure of Mars' hybrid magnetosphere and how it guides ion flows; understand how energy and momentum are transported from the solar wind through Mars' magnetosphere; and understand the processes controlling the flow of energy and matter into and out of the collisional atmosphere.
As of …

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron has released their L-2 forecast for New Glenn's second launch attempt:

The offshore landing area remains an area of concern and may yet affect the second launch attempt. We'll see. The 45th will issue another Launch Mission Execution Forecast tomorrow.

New Glenn NG-2 ready for launch on November 9, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
New Glenn NG-2 ready for launch on November 9, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Read more

New Glenn NG-1 at LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
New Glenn NG-1 at LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
New Glenn NG-1 at LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Blue Origin has officially announced the launch date and time window for its second New Glenn mission, NG‑2. It is now officially scheduled to lift off no earlier than Sunday, November 9, 2025, from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch window opens at 2:45 PM ET and closes at 5:11 PM ET (19:45–22:11 UTC).

An Early Look At The Weather For Sunday November 9th

Weather might pose a problem on Sunday, as there is a ~40-50% chance of rain in the forecast. Monday the 10th looks to be the beginning of a cold spell for the Space Coast, as winds will shift to the northwest as a frigid air mass approaches the area. Veteran’s Day will bring a winter-like high of 62ºF, with northerly winds ranging from 10-20 MPH. While none of that is any sort of Launch Mission Execution Forecast, it’s reason able to expect the 45th Weather Squadron to come out with something less than an ideal forecast for this flight.

In Brief

New Glenn | EscaPADE
OrganizationBlue Origin
LocationCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
RocketNew Glenn
PadLaunch Complex 36A
StatusGo for Launch
Status InfoCurrent T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Window OpensSunday, 11 / 09 / 2025 2:45 PM
Window ClosesSunday, 11 / 09 / 2025 5:11 PM
DestinationMars Orbit
Mission Description Maiden flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn carrying NASA’s twin Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) to study ion and sputtered escape from Mars and the processes that shape the planet’s hybrid magnetosphere and energy/momentum transport from the solar wind.

As of 10:16 AM Thursday November 6, 2025. Launch assignments and times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult BlueOrigin.com for updates.

If you are interested in a relatively close view of the launch, Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center is offering viewing opportunities from the LC-39 Gantry for Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch this weekend. Tickets are $99 plus the usual entrance and parking fees.

Mission Overview

The NG‑2 mission will carry the Rocket Lab-built ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) spacecraft — a pair of identical satellites bound for Mars. Also aboard is a technology demonstration payload for Viasat, part of NASA’s Communications Services Project.

The New Glenn rocket’s first stage will attempt recovery via landing on the offshore ship Jacklyn, while the upper stage delivers the payload to its Mars-bound trajectory. Jacklyn left Port Canaveral overnight, and is now steaming towards its planned downrange position to await GS-1, New Glenn’s booster.

While Blue Origin has maintained that a successful booster landing remains a tertiary goal for the mission, it is still an important one for the company: recovering the first stage sets the table for refurbishment and reflight, a key part of the economics of the New Glenn program. Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp commented yesterday on social media on the landing attempt, saying, “What if we don’t stick the landing? That’s ok. We’ve got several more New Glenn boosters already in production.”

The first two goals are obvious: a successful ascent to orbit for the 320 ft (98 m) tall rocket flying for the second time. Following that, a successful payload deployment for NASA and ViaSat, Blue Origin’s customers for NG-2.

Stay Tuned

As always, lots of things can and probably will change prior to Sunday in regards to the mission.

Read more

For a fleeting moment, New Glenn lit LC-36 blue as it lifted off on the first.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

As October progresses, Blue Origin has turned up the tempo of its preparations for the next launch of its New Glenn rocket. Plans are converging toward a liftoff sometime between mid-October and mid-November for the second mission of the 322-foot-tall (98-meter) rocket, which will carry NASA’s twin Rocket Lab-built ESCAPADE probes and place them on their way to Mars.

Though the company has not yet committed to a hard launch date, recent public statements suggest the first-stage static fire is likely to occur in the middle of the month, with a launch to follow soon thereafter. All of the pieces are coming together for a second New Glenn flight.

In a post on social media, Blue Origin affirmed that “ESCAPADE is at Astrotech and GS1 [the first stage] is headed to LC-36 in early October,” adding that the “vehicle hotfire mid-month” is the next major activity. Given that today is October 2, “mid-month” is only a couple of weeks away.

That phrasing strongly implies that the full booster test—igniting all seven BE-4 engines while the booster is held on the pad—is expected in mid-October. Assuming a successful test firing of GS1, the entire launch vehicle will then be stacked and returned to LC-36 for its eventual flight to space.

Meanwhile, the second stage of the vehicle has already undergone a dedicated hot-fire test on September 23, a milestone that cleared that portion of the stack for upcoming integration work.

This campaign comes in the wake of New Glenn’s inaugural flight in January 2025, which successfully placed the Blue Ring pathfinder payload into orbit but failed to recover the booster.

After NG-1, Blue Origin and the FAA jointly reviewed propulsion and re-entry performance and identified corrective measures, especially concerning propellant flow and engine re-ignition control. In March, the FAA released its findings and a list of items that were required to be remediated and verified before a second launch.

FAA Licensing

The FAA already licenses New Glenn Flight 2 under Blue Origin’s existing five-year Part 450 commercial space launch license, issued in December 2024 and valid through at least 2029. No separate license is required for subsequent flights under this framework, provided that Blue Origin meets the changes required after NG-1’s flight and subsequent investigation.

This license authorizes multiple orbital missions from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (LC-36), including reusability attempts for the first stage on an Atlantic barge. It covers Flight 2 following the closure of the Flight 1 mishap investigation in March 2025.

Pretty clearly, business is picking up for Blue Origin. Sooner rather later, skies above the Space Coast are going to turn blue again as NG-2 powers its way to orbit. And may the odds ever be in their favor.

Read more

Rocket Lab’s Electron lifts off.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. reported another record quarter yesterday, posting $144.5 million in Q2 2025 revenue — up 36% year-over-year and above guidance. CEO Peter Beck credited strong demand for Electron launches, with five completed in the quarter, and new contracts with agencies including NASA and the European Space Agency.

This is of interest to more than investors, as it shows that there is a robust market for space services and hardware, something that’s surely good news to Space Coast residents. The engine of the local economy in the area is space, and if space is healthy, it stands to reason that the local economy will be the same.

Rocket Lab also has two satellites bound for Mars in processing at The Cape currently as they await their launch aboard Blue Origin’s second flight of New Glenn scheduled for sometime soon — Blue stated their target was August 15th, but that’s out the window as there is currently no sign of the rocket being placed on the company’s site at LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. More than likely the launch will be in September, if not October or later.

By The Numbers

The company advanced its Neutron heavy-lift program, with Launch Complex 3 at Wallops Island now operational and Neutron’s first components en route to Virginia. Beck also confirmed plans to acquire Geost, positioning Rocket Lab as a “one-stop shop for national security,” and flagged readiness to compete for the U.S. Department of Defense’s $175 billion “Golden Dome” program. The company has already secured over $500 million in contracts from the Space Development Agency (SDA).

Rocket Lab Electron Launch at Wallops Island in Virginia
A 2024 Rocket Lab Electron launch at Wallops Island in Virginia. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

CFO Adam Spice reported GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Prnciples) gross margin at 32.1%, exceeding guidance, with a growing launch backlog and a healthy pipeline of multi-launch and satellite contracts. Space Systems delivered $97.9 million in revenue, while Launch Services rose 31% sequentially to $6.6 million.

Looking ahead, Rocket Lab projects Q3 revenue between $145 million and $155 million, with margins expected to improve further. However, operating expenses will remain high — $104 million to $109 million — as Neutron development ramps up, contributing to continued negative free cash flow. Management targets positive cash flow in 2026.

Analysts pressed for updates on Neutron’s customer commitments and SDA contract timing. Beck cautioned that many customers want to see Neutron fly before signing, and emphasized a no-rush approach: “We’re not going to take stupid risks to get a launch before it’s ready.”

Rocket Lab ended Q2 with $754 million in liquidity, bolstered by a $303.8 million equity raise. While risks remain in Neutron propulsion and integration testing, management remains confident in execution and market positioning, citing expanding international contracts, national security opportunities, and continued revenue growth.

These are the sorts of numbers that investors like to see, and Rocket Lab’s share price reflects just that: RKLB (Rocket Lab’s stock symbol on NASDAQ) is up 800% in the past year, and the share price climbed a bit after yesterday’s earnings call.

Read more

Rocket Lab Electron Launch at Wallops Island in Virginia
A Rocket Lab Electron departing this morning from Wallops Island, Virginia
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

Rocket Lab launched for the fourth time from US soil and for the first time this year earlier this morning when it sent the NROL-123 classified payload to orbit from Wallops Island, Virginia. Liftoff was at 3:25 AM EDT after the company’s engineers resolved a brief hold.

Rocket Lab’s “Live And Let Fly” lifts off Thursday, March 21, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

The classified payload was launched aboard Rocket Lab’s nine-engine Electron from Launch Complex (LC) 2 at Wallops, and its fourth from that facility. Electron is a 59-foot tall rocket capable of launching around 300 kilograms of mass.

The mission — designated “Live And Let Fly” by Rocket Lab, carried the fourth and last from the Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract agreed to by NRO and Rocket Lab in 2020.

“Live And Let Fly” Mission logo
Graphic: Rocket Lab
Read more