Blue Origin Launch Pad Repairs to Take 'Serious Time,' NASA Chief Says

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on Monday that repairing Blue Origin’s launch pad after the explosion of its New Glenn rocket will “take some serious time,” potentially pushing the timeline to 2028. The damage occurred during a hot-fire test on May 28, 2026, at Cape Canaveral, Florida, where the rocket burst into flames while bolted to the launch tower. Company and industry sources said the pad was “practically destroyed,” requiring at least six months of repairs. The setback comes as billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin seeks to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The rocket was slated to carry Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites, but the payload had not been integrated at the time. No injuries were reported. The New Glenn rocket is central to NASA’s Artemis moon missions, intended to deliver lunar landers and cargo.