![]() ![]() The return to flight mission is planned to be a repeat of NS-23 with the same experiments, and like the failed flight, with no crew on board. ![]() The stage lost on the flight had been reused a number of times, and material fatigue issues, in general, can bear watching as more space vehicles are reused in the coming years. ![]() New Shepard flight NS-23 failed last year due to a structural fatigue failure on the engine nozzle, and work has been done to prevent a recurrence. In other Blue Origin news, New Shepard is preparing for a return to flight. A launch in the late summer of 2023 would likely be the first realistic opportunity for the inaugural flight. The wet dress rehearsal for Vulcan is currently set for early July. In addition, the investigation into a test that ended in an explosion at Marshall Space Flight Center has caused the first Vulcan launch to be pushed back to at least the end of July. However, there was an issue with the GSE hooked to the Centaur V upper stage during its test. The flight engines for the first Vulcan launch were delivered and installed on the rocket’s first stage, and tanking tests on both stages were conducted. The version of the BE-4 slated for New Glenn, with reuse capability, needs to be ready, and the BE-4 needs to prove itself on the ULA Vulcan rocket later this year. A maintenance support facility, chemical process facility, warehouse expansion, and a temporary office compound have been mentioned in an environmental resource management plan filed with the state of Florida.īlue Origin hopes to conduct the first flight of New Glenn next year, though it remains to be seen whether the schedule holds. (Credit: Max Evans for NSF/L2)īlue Origin is also working on additions to its South Campus that would support space vehicle manufacturing. The test article could undergo pressure and cryogenic fluid testing in the future at the LC-36 test site, in a similar manner to Starship articles in Boca Chica, Texas.Īn article thought to be a New Glenn segment seen on a transporter. Jarvis, also known as Clipper, is thought to be a reusable second stage for New Glenn, though not many details have come out regarding the project.Ī test article seen on the northern side of LC-36 looks remarkably like early Starship testbeds such as SN5. The New Glenn second stage is not initially planned to be returned to Earth for reuse, but a project code-named “Jarvis” has been underway for some time. Testing hardware for second stages was also seen on the pad at LC-36, which would allow the company to test the stages on site before being stacked to the New Glenn rocket. It is thought the stage will undergo pressure testing, and will receive its insulation at the surface coating facility. A New Glenn second stage at the 2CAT facility on Blue Origin’s campus (Credit: Max Evans for NSF/L2)Īt the second stage Cleaning and Testing tank facility (2CAT), a second stage – possibly a test article as well – was recently seen. ![]()
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