Blue Origin postponed its second New Glenn launch attempt because of a severe geomagnetic storm. The 322‑foot rocket, already delayed by poor weather on Nov. 9, was stood down again for a planned Nov. 12 liftoff after NOAA warned of G3 (approaching G4) solar activity that can affect spacecraft and ground systems. The flight — NG‑2 for Blue Origin and the start of NASA's ESCAPADE mission — will carry twin satellites bound for Mars; arrival is expected in September 2027. Teams will wait for improved space weather and launch‑range availability before naming a new date.
Severe Solar Storm Grounds Blue Origin's New Glenn — Launch Delayed Again
Blue Origin postponed its second New Glenn launch attempt because of a severe geomagnetic storm. The 322‑foot rocket, already delayed by poor weather on Nov. 9, was stood down again for a planned Nov. 12 liftoff after NOAA warned of G3 (approaching G4) solar activity that can affect spacecraft and ground systems. The flight — NG‑2 for Blue Origin and the start of NASA's ESCAPADE mission — will carry twin satellites bound for Mars; arrival is expected in September 2027. Teams will wait for improved space weather and launch‑range availability before naming a new date.
04:41 AM, 11/13/2025Science
Severe Solar Storm Grounds Blue Origin's New Glenn — Launch Delayed Again
A powerful geomagnetic storm that produced vivid northern lights across much of the United States is also being blamed for disrupting Blue Origin's planned launch of its New Glenn heavy‑lift rocket.
Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, had the 322‑foot New Glenn standing vertical on its Florida launch pad for several days ahead of a flight that would carry NASA satellites bound for Mars. The first scheduled attempt, on Nov. 9, was scrubbed because of poor weather. A second attempt planned for Nov. 12 was postponed after intense solar activity and a rare "severe" watch from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
Why the launch was delayed
NOAA warned that bursts of charged particles and electromagnetic disturbances from the geomagnetic storm could interfere with ground‑based and satellite systems, including spacecraft avionics, communications and navigation. Citing those risks, Blue Origin and NASA announced that the Nov. 12 liftoff would not proceed.
"Due to highly elevated solar activity and its potential effects on the ESCAPADE spacecraft, NASA is postponing launch until space weather conditions improve," Blue Origin said in a statement posted online and on X.
The Space Weather Prediction Center rated the event at G3 and said conditions could approach G4 levels — just one step below the most severe category. While such storms can produce spectacular red and green auroras visible far from the poles, they can also threaten power grids, disrupt GPS and affect satellites and other space‑based systems.
About the mission
The New Glenn heavy‑lift, two‑stage rocket — named for astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth — is designed to be reusable. Blue Origin says the first‑stage booster is engineered for at least 25 flights; the booster selected for this mission carries the nickname "Never Tell Me the Odds." New Glenn will lift off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, a pad Blue Origin spent about $1 billion to renovate.
New Glenn has flown only once before, on Jan. 16, 2025. In that maiden flight the booster was lost during descent, but the upper stage reached orbit and delivered its payload — an outcome Blue Origin described as a partial success.
For this flight (identified by Blue Origin as NG‑2 and by NASA as the start of the ESCAPADE mission), New Glenn will carry twin ESCAPADE satellites — the Escape and Plasma Acceleration Dynamics Explorers — to begin a multi‑year voyage to Mars. After booster separation, Blue Origin will attempt to recover the first stage on the drone ship Jacklyn several hundred miles offshore, while the upper stage continues toward the mission trajectory.
The ESCAPADE satellites are expected to arrive in Martian orbit in September 2027. The science phase of the mission, focused on studying solar wind and space weather, is scheduled to run from June 2028 through May 2029. New Glenn will also carry technology from Viasat and is envisioned for future commercial and government missions, including Amazon's Project Kuiper.
Blue Origin said it is coordinating with NASA and range authorities to identify a safe launch opportunity once space weather and range availability permit. No replacement launch date has been announced.
Reporting by USA TODAY staff; summarized and edited for clarity.