Blue Origin says it’ll add new launch pads on Florida’s Space Coast to ramp up New Glenn, as it recovers from a static test fire explosion in May.
- The new pads will be modeled on Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral. LC-36A (New Glenn 7×2) is being rebuilt after the explosion, and LC-36B is under construction for the bigger 9×4 variant with nine BE-4s on the first stage.
- Exact locations weren’t announced.
- The FAA is taking public comment on raising LC-36A’s cadence from 12 flights to 50. A virtual hearing is set for October 22, and comments close October 30.
- Two new landing vessels and a new vertical integration facility for servicing returned boosters are coming too.
“This infrastructure is designed to support multiple flights per week by the end of the decade,” said SVP of Operations Ian Richardson.
My take
Competition is good for everyone in launch. With SpaceX chasing hundreds of Starship launches a year, Blue needs pads and cadence to stay in the game.
