Technical Details
The New Glenn rocket by Blue Origin has successfully withstood a strong shockwave from an anomaly during fire tests at the LC-36 launch complex in Florida. Despite the severity of the event, company CEO Dave Limp confirmed that specialists have already returned to the site. A preliminary inspection showed that the accelerator and second stages are in good condition.
Background and Context
The rocket that was being tested was completely destroyed. Never Tell Me The Odds (GS1-SN002) and the second stages were inside the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) - a building near the launch pad - for refurbishment after previous flights.
Industry Impact
Blue Origin is considering the possibility of parallel restoration of the damaged LC-36 and construction of a new launch pad at the site of the old LC-11. This will allow for faster return to testing and potentially launch from two sites simultaneously.