Blue Origin Scrubs NASA's Mars ESCAPADE Mission at the Last Minute

Shares of Blue Origin, the private aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company founded by Jeff Bezos, took a hit on Sunday night as the company announced that it would not proceed with the launch of NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars. The mission, which aims to study the dynamics of Mars' magnetic field and atmosphere, was scheduled to lift off from the company's New Glenn rocket at 2:45 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, but the launch was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather conditions. According to a post on X, the company stated that it had worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the launch range to select a launch window, but ultimately decided to postpone the launch. The company also obtained an exemption from the FAA's announcement that starting Monday, no commercial rockets can lift off between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time, as part of an effort to relieve congestion in the nation's airspace during the ongoing federal government shutdown. The new launch window is set for no earlier than Wednesday at 2:50 p.m. The New Glenn rocket, which stands at 321 feet tall, is a powerful orbital rocket designed by Blue Origin. It is taller than many other commercial rockets, including the SpaceX Falcon 9 and the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V. The rocket is equipped with a BE-4 engine, which is capable of producing 550,000 pounds of thrust. The ESCAPADE mission is a critical component of NASA's Mars exploration program, and the launch of the New Glenn rocket was seen as a major milestone for the company. In a statement, a Blue Origin spokesperson said, "We are disappointed that we were unable to launch the ESCAPADE mission today, but we are committed to working with NASA and the FAA to ensure the success of this critical mission." The spokesperson added that the company is working to resolve the issues that led to the launch scrub and is confident that the mission will launch soon. The ESCAPADE mission is a joint effort between NASA and Blue Origin, and it aims to study the dynamics of Mars' magnetic field and atmosphere. The mission will use two identical spacecraft to orbit Mars and collect data on the planet's magnetic field, atmosphere, and geology. The data collected during the mission will help scientists better understand the planet's evolution and the potential for life on Mars. The launch of the New Glenn rocket was also seen as a major milestone for Blue Origin, which has been working to develop a commercial launch vehicle capable of carrying payloads to orbit. The company has faced several setbacks in recent years, including a failed launch attempt in 2021, but the successful launch of the New Glenn rocket would have marked a major turning point for the company. The current status of the ESCAPADE mission is uncertain, but Blue Origin has announced that it will attempt to launch the mission no earlier than Wednesday at 2:50 p.m. The company is working to resolve the issues that led to the launch scrub and is confident that the mission will launch soon.