WASHINGTON — Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has identified a malfunction involving the main oxygen valve of one of its New Glenn rocket engines as the likely source of a major launchpad accident earlier this year.
The company's New Glenn rocket suffered an explosion at its Florida launchpad in May. Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said investigators traced the problem to a valve in one of the rocket's seven BE-4 engines.
Blue Origin Works Toward Return to Flight
The investigation represents an important step for Blue Origin as it prepares to return New Glenn to service.
The company plans to make relatively small modifications to the affected valve design.
Blue Origin is also working with United Launch Alliance because ULA uses the same BE-4 engine family in its Vulcan rockets.
The incident created a significant setback for Bezos' space ambitions.
New Glenn is intended to become a major heavy-lift rocket capable of carrying commercial satellites and supporting future government missions.
Blue Origin also has ambitions in lunar exploration.
Its Blue Moon program is connected to NASA's Artemis effort to develop a sustainable human presence around the Moon.
The company has additional pressure from Amazon's satellite ambitions.
Amazon's Project Kuiper requires a large number of launches to deploy its broadband satellite constellation.
Blue Origin is expected to play a major role in those launches.
The engine investigation therefore has consequences beyond one rocket.
A reliable New Glenn system could become an important component of America's increasingly competitive commercial space industry.
Blue Origin is targeting a return to flight before the end of the year.
Investors and space-industry customers will be watching closely to determine whether the company's corrective measures are sufficient.
