Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, postponed the much-anticipated maiden launch of its New Glenn rocket on Monday (Jan 13) due to last-minute technical problems. The launch, scheduled for 08:15 GMT, was called off just six minutes before the liftoff.
<h2>Timeline of what happened?</h2>
The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/blue-origin-poised-for-first-orbital-launch-on-january-8">New Glenn rocket</a>, which has been developing for a decade, was set to launch from Florida during a three-hour window that opened at 06:00 GMT (01:00 local time). Earlier attempts had already been delayed due to unfavourable sea conditions.
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This mission was a significant milestone for Blue Origin, as the rocket was expected to reach orbit for the first time. Additionally, its reusable booster was designed to detach and land on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean.
Blue Origin describes New Glenn as a "giant, reusable rocket" designed for human space travel. However, at approximately 07:20 GMT, a spokesperson reported "a few anomalies" the team was working to resolve. 
Following several countdown resets, the decision was made to cancel the launch for the day. 
A Blue Origin spokesperson cited a "vehicle subsystem issue" as the reason for the delay, explaining that additional time was needed to troubleshoot the problem. A new date for the launch has not yet been announced.
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<h2>Why was the launch called off?</h2>
Blue Origin posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re standing down on today&rsquo;s launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue that will take us beyond our launch window. We&rsquo;re reviewing opportunities for our next launch attempt.&rdquo;
During a live stream, a Blue Origin spokeswoman said that the postponement was necessary to give the team more time to address the technical issues. She added, &ldquo;When we know when the next opportunity is, of course, we will let everybody know.&rdquo;
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Earlier in the scheduled launch period, she explained that engineers were &ldquo;working through a few anomalies&rdquo; and controllers were exploring possible solutions. 
She said, &ldquo;What people may not realise is that much of what we do in pre-launch procedures is scripted and planned. However, when unexpected issues arise, our team manually operates the systems to resolve them.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies)

Science & Tech, World Blue Origin posted a statement on X , saying, “We’re standing down on today’s launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue that will take us beyond our launch window.”

Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, postponed the much-anticipated maiden launch of its New Glenn rocket on Monday (Jan 13) due to last-minute technical problems. The launch, scheduled for 08:15 GMT, was called off just six minutes before the liftoff. Timeline of what happened? The New Glenn rocket, which has been developing for a decade, was set to launch from Florida during a three-hour window that opened at 06:00 GMT (01:00 local time). Earlier attempts had already been delayed due to unfavourable sea conditions. Also read: South Korea's Yoon gets pay rise despite facing impeachment trial This mission was a significant milestone for Blue Origin, as the rocket was expected to reach orbit for the first time. Additionally, its reusable booster was designed to detach and land on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean. Blue Origin describes New Glenn as a "giant, reusable rocket" designed for human space travel. However, at approximately 07:20 GMT, a spokesperson reported "a few anomalies" the team was working to resolve. Following several countdown resets, the decision was made to cancel the launch for the day. A Blue Origin spokesperson cited a "vehicle subsystem issue" as the reason for the delay, explaining that additional time was needed to troubleshoot the problem. A new date for the launch has not yet been announced. Also read: On possible Trump-Putin meeting, Kremlin says there's 'political will' for dialogue Why was the launch called off? Blue Origin posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “We’re standing down on today’s launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue that will take us beyond our launch window. We’re reviewing opportunities for our next launch attempt.” During a live stream, a Blue Origin spokeswoman said that the postponement was necessary to give the team more time to address the technical issues. She added, “When we know when the next opportunity is, of course, we will let everybody know.” Also read: Israel denies receiving Gaza ceasefire proposal despite Qatar saying it shared 'final' hostage deal draft Earlier in the scheduled launch period, she explained that engineers were “working through a few anomalies” and controllers were exploring possible solutions. She said, “What people may not realise is that much of what we do in pre-launch procedures is scripted and planned. However, when unexpected issues arise, our team manually operates the systems to resolve them.” (With inputs from agencies)

'Few anomalies': Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin calls off rocket launch

Virgin Galactic successfully carried out its first spaceflight in nearly two years Thursday, the company said, after an "enhancement period" to make safety upgrades to its fleet.

It was the fifth time the space tourism company brushed the boundary of space, and has been billed as the final test before commercial operations can begin in late June, with members of the Italian Air Force as the first paying customers.

"Touchdown, VSS Unity!" the company tweeted, referring to the name of the company's spaceplane. "Our crew and spaceship are back on Earth after landing smoothly at Spaceport America, New Mexico."

The mission "was a fantastic achievement for everyone at Virgin Galactic," added CEO Michael Colglazier, in a statement.

The Unity 25 mission flew four of the company employees to an altitude of just over 54 miles (87 kilometres) above sea level.

Virgin Galactic's space programme has suffered years of delays and a 2014 accident in which a pilot died.

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Unlike other companies that use vertical-launch rockets, Virgin Galactic uses a carrier aircraft with two pilots that takes off from a runway, gains high altitude, and drops a rocket-powered plane that soars into space at nearly Mach 3, before gliding back to Earth.

The total journey time is 90 minutes, with passengers experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness in the space plane's cabin.

Its first fully crewed flight in 2021 included the company's flamboyant founder, British billionaire Richard Branson.&nbsp;

But what had appeared to be a breakthrough moment for the company was marred by an official safety probe after the spaceplane was found to have dropped below its assigned airspace on its descent.

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The Federal Aviation Agency later cleared the company to resume activity after it promised corrective actions.

Virgin Galactic has sold 800 tickets for future commercial flights -- 600 between 2005 and 2014 for $200,000 to $250,000, and 200 since then for $450,000 each.

It competes in the "suborbital" space tourism sector with billionaire Jeff Bezos' company, Blue Origin, which has already sent 32 people into space.&nbsp;

But since an accident in September 2022 during an unmanned flight, Blue Origin's rocket has been grounded. In March, the company promised to resume spaceflight soon.

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Virgin Galactic successfully carried out its first spaceflight in nearly two years Thursday, the company said, after an "enhancement period" to make safety upgrades to its fleet.

Virgin Galactic successfully carried out its first spaceflight in nearly two years Thursday, the company said, after an "enhancement period" to make safety upgrades to its fleet. It was the fifth time the space tourism company brushed the boundary of space, and has been billed as the final test before commercial operations can begin in late June, with members of the Italian Air Force as the first paying customers. "Touchdown, VSS Unity!" the company tweeted, referring to the name of the company's spaceplane. "Our crew and spaceship are back on Earth after landing smoothly at Spaceport America, New Mexico." The mission "was a fantastic achievement for everyone at Virgin Galactic," added CEO Michael Colglazier, in a statement. The Unity 25 mission flew four of the company employees to an altitude of just over 54 miles (87 kilometres) above sea level. Virgin Galactic's space programme has suffered years of delays and a 2014 accident in which a pilot died. Also Read | Sunspot four times bigger than earth is visible right now. Here's how you can see it Unlike other companies that use vertical-launch rockets, Virgin Galactic uses a carrier aircraft with two pilots that takes off from a runway, gains high altitude, and drops a rocket-powered plane that soars into space at nearly Mach 3, before gliding back to Earth. The total journey time is 90 minutes, with passengers experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness in the space plane's cabin. Its first fully crewed flight in 2021 included the company's flamboyant founder, British billionaire Richard Branson. But what had appeared to be a breakthrough moment for the company was marred by an official safety probe after the spaceplane was found to have dropped below its assigned airspace on its descent. Also Read | NASA spacecraft discovers how Jupiter's lightning shares similarity with Earth's The Federal Aviation Agency later cleared the company to resume activity after it promised corrective actions. Virgin Galactic has sold 800 tickets for future commercial flights -- 600 between 2005 and 2014 for $200,000 to $250,000, and 200 since then for $450,000 each. It competes in the "suborbital" space tourism sector with billionaire Jeff Bezos' company, Blue Origin, which has already sent 32 people into space. But since an accident in September 2022 during an unmanned flight, Blue Origin's rocket has been grounded. In March, the company promised to resume spaceflight soon. WATCH WION LIVE HERE × You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Virgin Galactic resumes spaceflights successfully after two-year pause for safety upgrade

Lauren Sanchez says she is planning to take part in an all-women space flight in early 2024 aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket. Watch this report to know more.

Lauren Sanchez to lead all-women space crew in 2024 on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin spaceship

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'Few anomalies': Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin calls off rocket launch

Virgin Galactic resumes spaceflights successfully after two-year pause for safety upgrade

Lauren Sanchez to lead all-women space crew in 2024 on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin spaceship