Blue Origin targets year‑end launch for New Glenn heavy‑lift rocket after May explosion

Blue Origin is planning to return its New Glenn heavy‑lift rocket to flight by the end of 2024. The company will use a new “horizontal/vertical hybrid” concept of operations, rolling the assembled rocket to the pad and then lifting it vertically with a specialized crane, rather than rebuilding the original launch pad infrastructure that was destroyed in the May 28 static‑fire explosion at Launch Complex 36A in Florida.

CEO Dave Limp said the new system, originally developed for a future super‑heavy New Glenn configuration, will accelerate the timeline and enable a launch later this year. A successful New Glenn flight could carry a lunar lander to the Moon’s south pole, supporting NASA’s Artemis program and providing an alternative to SpaceX’s offerings.

The plan represents a significant effort to restore the company’s launch capability and maintain its role in U.S. human‑spaceflight initiatives.