Blue Origin Pins New Glenn Blast on BE-4 Oxygen Valve, Targets End-2026 Return
Updated
Updated · Benzinga · Aug 6
Blue Origin Pins New Glenn Blast on BE-4 Oxygen Valve, Targets End-2026 Return
3 articles · Updated · Benzinga · Aug 6
Summary
Blue Origin said recovered hardware and inspections traced the May 28 New Glenn launchpad explosion to the main oxygen valve on one of the rocket’s seven BE-4 engines.
End-of-August hardware updates are planned after component tests and engine hotfires, with small valve modifications designed to be retrofitted to existing engines while fault-tree analysis continues.
The blast caused no injuries but destroyed a lightning tower and the transporter-erector for the 321-foot rocket; key methane, hydrogen and oxygen tanks survived.
The FAA has accepted nine corrective actions and will allow New Glenn to fly again once licensing requirements are met, as Blue Origin reconfigures Launch Complex 36 for a return before the end of 2026.
The valve finding reaches beyond Blue Origin because ULA’s Vulcan also uses BE-4 engines, making the fix significant in an already constrained U.S. launch market.