New Glenn Rocket Explosion: Implications for NASA's Artemis IV Mission

New Glenn Catastrophe Aftermath

This week, Ars Technica hosted a live discussion featuring space industry experts discussing the implications of the catastrophic explosion of the New Glenn rocket that occurred in late May.

During the conversation, Eric Berger, the Space Editor at Ars Technica, along with Caleb Henry from Quilty Space and Anthony Colangelo from the Main Engine Cut Off podcast, delved into the aftermath of this incident.

Impact on NASA's Moon Mission

A primary focus of the discussion was the impact of the New Glenn failure on NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which aims to land humans on the Moon. Both Blue Origin and SpaceX are developing landers and rockets to support this ambitious goal.

Berger reported that the current architecture proposed by Blue Origin for a human mission would necessitate four launches of a new variant of the New Glenn rocket, referred to as the 9x4. This variant boasts nine first stage engines and four upper stage engines, making it more powerful than the previous 7x2 variant that exploded.

Future Launch Timeline

While Blue Origin has not officially set a target date for the debut of the 9x4 rocket, some sources suggest that the company may be aiming for a launch window in late 2027 or early 2028.

The discussion highlighted the critical role that these developments play in the future of space exploration and the challenges faced by companies like Blue Origin in achieving their goals.