New Glenn Rocket Failure Impacts NASA Moon Mission

The recent catastrophic explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket in late May has significant implications for NASA's Artemis IV mission, which aims to land humans on the Moon. Ars Technica hosted a live discussion this week featuring space industry experts Eric Berger, Caleb Henry of Quilty Space, and Anthony Colangelo of the Main Engine Cut Off podcast to analyze the aftermath.

During the discussion, Eric Berger reported that Blue Origin's proposed architecture for a human lunar mission would necessitate four launches of a new variant of the New Glenn rocket, designated the 9x4. This variant features nine first-stage engines and four upper-stage engines, making it more powerful than the "7x2" variant that exploded. The "7x2" variant is the one that experienced the catastrophic failure a little over a month prior to the discussion.

Both Blue Origin and SpaceX are developing lunar landers and the necessary rockets to support NASA's goal of lunar landings. The failure of the New Glenn rocket, particularly the "7x2" variant, casts uncertainty on the readiness of Blue Origin's launch capabilities for future missions. The company has not yet established a target date for the debut of the more powerful 9x4 rocket.

However, some industry sources suggest that Blue Origin is targeting a debut for the 9x4 variant in late 2027 or early 2028. This timeline is critical for NASA's Artemis IV mission, which relies on the availability of these heavy-lift rockets to deliver the necessary hardware and crew to the lunar surface. The delay or further issues with the New Glenn program could impact the overall schedule for lunar exploration.