Blue Origin pivots to redesigned launchpad after explosion in push to fly by end

Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said the company is "not rebuilding the same pad" where one of its New Glenn rockets recently exploded, in order to make way for a return to flight this year.

The company, started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was conducting a hot-fire test of its massive New Glenn rocket at its Florida launch site last month when the aircraft erupted into a fireball. New Glenn is a key part of Blue Origin's effort to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has established a significant lead with its reusable rockets and launch services.

In a note posted to Blue Origin's website, Limp said the company intends to adopt a "horizontal/vertical hybrid" launch configuration, using existing infrastructure that was already in development for its larger, more powerful New Glenn variant, called the "9x4."

"We take our responsibility as a launch provider very seriously, and we are committed to returning to flight with the reliability our mission demands," Limp wrote.

Limp wrote in a post on X that the new pad configuration "has the added benefit of increasing our flight cadence as well."

Blue Origin's New Glenn mishap was inconveniently timed. Blue Origin is a critical partner f

Fuente original: CNBC Top News (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/30/blue-origin-explosion-launchpad.html)