Blue Origin and a Step Closer to Flying
New Glenn Flight highlighting the BE-4 engines. Image Credit - Michael Seeley
Cape Canaveral S.F.S. FL., - In a press release this week from Blue Origin, it was announced that a root cause of the New Glenn rocket explosion had been identified. As you recall, the evening of May 28, 2026 during a hot fire test at LC-36, New Glenn experienced a major anomaly destroying the rocket and most of the launch pad area.
U.L.A. Vulcan “Pathfinder” with BE-4 Engines on the first stage booster - Image Credit: Michael Howard - We Report Space
In a statement released from Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp: “The anomaly originated at the main oxygen valve on one of the BE-4 engines, which was later confirmed by hardware recovery and inspections. Extensive component-level and engine hot fire tests have been conducted to understand the failure mode better and inform mitigations. The path forward is clear. We're making small modifications to the valve that can be quickly retrofitted to existing engines. We’re manufacturing the updated hardware, which will be ready by the end of this month. In parallel, we're working through the remaining fault tree analysis.”
Vulcan in flight with BE-4 engines highlighted - Image Credit: Graham Smith - We Report Space
Though this might be seen as path forward, this engine issue also has complications with launch provider United Launch Alliance (U.L.A.) which is also using similar BE-4 engines on its’ Vulcan rocket. Vulcan has been grounded for months after issues with the solid rocket motors and adding to that grounding are those BE-4 engines of which Vulcan uses two of them on the first stage booster. It is being noted that while the U.L.A. BE-4 engines are not identical in that U.L.A. does not have the need for reuse and relighting for a first stage booster landing. However, it is being reported that Blue Origin will be making changes to the U.L.A. version of the BE-4 engines ahead of the next Vulcan flight that is currently NET than September of this year.
While progress is being made on all fronts for both Blue Origin and its New Glenn rocket as well as U.L.A. and the Vulcan rocket,
Blue Origin is working hard to bring the heavily damaged launch pad back to flight ready operation before the end of this year.
New Glenn launch as seen from Cape Canaveral - Image Credit: Michael Howard - We Report Space
Story By: Michael Howard
Images By: Michael Howard, Michael Seeley and Graham Smith – We Report Space