Blue Origin News

Reuters

High activity

Blue Origin identifies BE-4 engine issue as trigger of New Glenn explosion, targets return later this year

Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said a problem with one of New Glenn’s BE-4 engines triggered the rocket’s massive May explosion. The company is investigating the failure while preparing repairs and targeting a return to flight later this year, a schedule that will depend on vehicle and pad readiness.

SpaceNews.com

AFRL expands Blue Origin contract to study rocket-based military cargo transport

The Air Force Research Laboratory added $11.7 million to a Blue Origin contract exploring whether commercial rockets could transport military supplies around the world. The expansion brings the agreement’s total value to approximately $13 million and broadens the Air Force’s examination of commercial launch capacity for logistics.

NASA Spaceflight

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NASA deal adds Stennis test capacity as Blue Origin rebuilds New Glenn pad after explosion

NASA and Blue Origin have agreed to test New Glenn engines at NASA’s historic Stennis Space Center stand, giving the company an alternative to capacity constrained by the May static-fire explosion at Launch Complex 36 as it works toward a return to flight before the end of 2026.

SpaceNews.com

Blue Origin to test New Glenn upper stages at NASA Stennis Space Center

Blue Origin says it will use NASA’s Stennis Space Center to test New Glenn upper stages as it rebuilds its Cape Canaveral launch complex. The move shifts part of New Glenn’s development and validation work to Stennis infrastructure while Blue Origin continues ground-site recovery and integration planning.

NASA

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NASA to support Blue Origin New Glenn second-stage hot-fire testing at Stennis B-2

NASA and Blue Origin have finalized plans for second-stage hot-fire tests of New Glenn on the B-2 position of the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The testing is intended to progress New Glenn’s development alongside Artemis-related objectives.

New York Times

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Wally Funk, last ‘Mercury 13’ and oldest woman to fly to space, dies at 87

Wally Funk, the trailblazing aviator and final living member of NASA’s original “Mercury 13” astronaut trainee class, died at 87 in Texas. She flew into space at 82 after decades of waiting, later recognized as the oldest woman in space, following a Blue Origin invitation.

SpaceNews.com

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Blue Origin launches first-ever outside fundraising round, seeking up to $10B at a reported $130B valuation

Blue Origin has initiated its first external private financing effort, aiming to raise as much as $10 billion at a reported $130 billion valuation, according to reporting cited across the cluster. The move follows intense capital inflows to the space sector but highlights a persistent constraint: limited launch capacity.

New York Times

Blue Origin to raise outside capital at ~$130B valuation

Blue Origin, the Jeff Bezos-founded launch company, is preparing for its first major round to bring in external investors, targeting a valuation of roughly $130 billion. The fund-raising marks a significant step in the company’s funding strategy as it scales its launch and spaceflight ambitions.