This could be a possible death blow to Blue Origin. A year and a half of being unable to launch will result in contracts being pulled or the company being sued, along with other launch companies getting the launches.
For the lunar race with SpaceX, this could be one of, if not the, critical deciding factors in how much they can participate in the race to get humans back to the moon. SpaceX has continued to advance and move forward with Starship, a version of which will be used as their lunar lander.
Losing that contract and really all contracts for the next year and a half plus is brutal and something that sucks all the momentum out of the company that had been generated. If it ends up taking this full time then Blue Origin will be a shell of itself by the time it fixes it if it gets to that point.
Weren’t they just awarded a huge contract with NASA for the Artemis lunar work?
I want to say it was last year.... might have been the year before but yes they and SpaceX both were awarded lunar landers so I guess it was good that two were so SpaceX can continue on.
*Correction yes they had just received additional contracts a week or so ago for landing rovers
The lunar vehicles are supposed to be used on Artemis V, which is slated for the 2030s. Artemis IV is the one that is set to land in 2028.
That’s what I was thinking. Sounds like it’s far enough out to not be an issue, unless the entire company goes under.
Well, they are supposed to use that launch pad for their lunar lander, which is supposed to launch in 2027 to low Earth orbit to test out the docking capabilities. Sounds like that one is going to be a complete wash. There are also supposed to launch and land some infrastructure equipment that would arrive before humans in 2028, so that could also be an issue as well.
Can they rent launch time anywhere else or is it infeasible to do that?
Each rocket is different in what it needs/how stuff is set up. Blue Origin does have another pad in Cali that is in the development stage but it isnt close to being ready to launch. SpaceX has multiple pads in Florida as well as California and Virginia, giving them flexibility. Blue Origin just doesn't.
I guess these are growing pains for a very young industry
Meanwhile the US continues its support for Israeli war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHPmW-XKfCM