Blue Origin is actively engaging with the government to secure additional launch opportunities for the upcoming New Glenn launch of a NASA Mars mission, amidst new restrictions imposed on commercial launches by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The planned launch of NASA’s ESCAPADE mission aboard New Glenn is scheduled for November 9th at 2:45 p.m. Eastern time, originating from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
During an online briefing on November 8th, Blue Origin announced the completion of a launch readiness review, giving the green light for the endeavor. Weather forecasts indicate a 65% chance of favorable conditions for the launch. Should the launch not proceed on the 9th, a backup opportunity is set for November 10th at 2:40 p.m. Eastern. However, this attempt faces potential roadblocks due to an FAA order issued on November 6th, limiting commercial launches to between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to minimize impacts on the National Airspace System. This order is a response to the strains on air traffic management caused by a recent government shutdown.
Blue Origin addressed the situation in a statement on November 7th, stating their pursuit of an exemption from the order: “We have been working closely with the FAA to ensure that New Glenn’s upcoming launch of the ESCAPADE mission to Mars can proceed,” the company stated. “We will continue to work with the FAA to maintain the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System.”
Laura Maginnis, vice president of New Glenn mission management at Blue Origin, confirmed ongoing discussions with the FAA and NASA. “We are working very closely with both our partners at the FAA and with the NASA team to ensure that, of course, we’re honoring and respecting the airspace expectations there and the safety requirements, while at the same time meeting the objectives that NASA and Blue Origin have for this mission,” she explained. “We’re working closely with them on opportunities for exceptions, et cetera, to the policy based on how our mission goes tomorrow,” she added.
Maginnis further stated that the company is collaborating with NASA and the FAA “on launching as soon as possible” if the launch doesn't occur on November 9th. These discussions are progressing through “the appropriate government channels.”
The NG-2 launch, as Blue Origin refers to it, is one of several FAA-licensed commercial launches potentially affected by the new order. For example, a Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites, initially scheduled for a launch window opening at 5:12 p.m. Eastern Nov. 10, has been pushed back to no earlier than 10 p.m. Eastern that day, according to SpaceX’s website.
Upon launch, NG-2 will deploy the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft towards the Earth-sun L2 Lagrange point. The probes are scheduled to arrive in 2027 to study the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian magnetosphere and atmosphere.
The NG-2 mission will also feature a secondary payload from Viasat, testing communications technologies as part of NASA’s Communications Services Project. The overall NG-2 mission will conclude approximately one hour and 40 minutes after liftoff, with the upper stage entering a heliocentric disposal orbit.
This launch follows New Glenn's inaugural mission in January. The first stage failed to land on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean because of an engine relight issue.
“We’ve incorporated a number of changes to our propellant management system, some minor hardware changes as well, to increase our likelihood of landing that booster on this mission,” Maginnis said. “We really didn’t have a lot of findings from the first mission,” she said. “We were very, very pleased with how the rocket performed for us on the first launch, so we’re looking forward to another one here this week.”