NASA chief praises progress Blue Origin is making after launch failure

“They’re making great progress,” Isaacman said of Blue Origin. “So plan A is very much still to launch the Mk. 1 on New Glenn. They are very committed to getting back in the business of launching New Glenn before the end of the year. And Plan A is looking a lot better today than it was weeks ago, just based on the progress that the Blue Origin team is making.”

NASA considering its options

However, he added that prudence demands that NASA should also study alternative launch vehicles for the Endurance mission as well as Blue Origin’s lander for Artemis III. Options include SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy or United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rockets.

So NASA is closely watching Blue’s recovery. Isaacman said he receives daily updates from his team.

“We’ve got time into 2027 before we’re getting nervous,” Isaacman said. “If we start tracking towards mid-2027, that has implications for the...

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