Blue Origin Launch Scrubbed (Again): Weather and What We Know

The Unfolding Drama at Cape Canaveral

The second launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, slated for Sunday, November 9, 2025, was scrubbed. The reasons cited: weather, minor launch pad equipment issues, and—rather bizarrely—a cruise ship wandering into the flight path. Blue Origin scrubs second launch of New Glenn due to weather, cruise ship traffic - TechCrunch The launch has been rescheduled for Wednesday, November 12, with a window between 2:50 p.m. ET and 4:17 p.m. ET. While the delay itself isn't surprising (spaceflight is hard, after all), it highlights some deeper issues facing Blue Origin as it attempts to compete with SpaceX.

The initial launch window on Sunday opened at 2:45 p.m. ET and lasted approximately 90 minutes. That's a fairly tight window (especially with a cruise ship potentially causing havoc). The FAA restrictions, stemming from the government shutdown, added another layer of complexity. Blue Origin managed to work with the FAA to get the green light for the second attempt. But that cooperation doesn't erase the fundamental problem.

Booster Blues and Reusability Realities

The first New Glenn launch in January 2025 did reach orbit. A success, on paper. But the booster exploded before it could land on the drone ship. (A rather explosive end to an otherwise successful mission). This second flight is crucial, because Blue Origin needs to prove it can land the booster reliably. Reusability isn't just a nice-to-have; it's the economic bedrock upon which SpaceX built its dominance. Without it, Blue Origin is fighting with one hand tied behind its back.

This mission also marks New Glenn’s first commercial outing. It’s carrying NASA’s ESCAPADE spacecraft to Mars, along with a tech demonstrator for Viasat (part of another NASA project). The stakes are high. Delays are costly, both financially and in terms of reputation. Blue Origin has already pushed back this second launch several times from its original 2025 target. Each delay erodes confidence.

The question is: can Blue Origin truly compete with SpaceX without mastering rapid and reliable reusability? SpaceX has turned booster landings into a near-routine affair. Blue Origin is still trying to stick the landing, literally. What happens if the booster fails to land again on Wednesday? Will investors and customers continue to exhibit patience, or will they start to view New Glenn as a costly, unreliable venture?

Consider this analogy: Blue Origin is trying to build a high-speed rail line while SpaceX is already operating a fleet of hyperloop pods. Catching up requires more than just building faster; it requires a fundamental rethinking of the entire transportation system.

And this is the part of the report that I find genuinely puzzling: the lack of transparency regarding the booster explosion in January. Details remain scarce. Was it a design flaw? A manufacturing defect? A software glitch? Without a clear understanding of what went wrong, how can Blue Origin guarantee it won't happen again? The silence is deafening.

Vaporware or Viable Venture?

Blue Origin's New Glenn faces an uphill battle. The weather delay is a minor setback, but it highlights the larger challenges of achieving reliable reusability and competing in a market dominated by SpaceX. The company needs to demonstrate consistent performance, transparency, and a clear path to profitability. Until then, New Glenn remains a high-risk, high-reward gamble.

A Very Expensive Game of Catch-Up