Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Blue Origin has been promising to launch New Glenn for months, and now that the moment has finally arrived, the rocket is still sitting on the ground. They’ve already delayed the launch once, and now they’re throwing out more cheap excuses for why it can’t fly yet again. We’re going to break down exactly what’s going on and look at all the details in this video. Before we go any deeper, make sure to subscribe to the channel for more updates like this.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket was supposed to become one of the most important launch vehicles of this decade. When it was first revealed in 2016, the company confidently said it would fly in 2020. They signed major commercial contracts based on that timeline, and NASA expected the rocket to become a new competitor in the growing launch market. On paper, New Glenn had everything it needed: a huge reusable first stage, a modern design, and the financial backing of one of the richest people on the planet. But the reality that followed was completely different.
The first major problem appeared long before New Glenn was even built. Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine, which started development in 2011, was supposed to be ready in time for both New Glenn and ULA’s new Vulcan rocket. Instead, the engine fell behind year after year. It struggled with power levels, combustion stability, and qualification testing. Even ULA’s leadership expressed frustration that the engines were not arriving as promised. Since New Glenn depends on seven BE-4 engines for its first stage, the rocket couldn’t make any real progress until the engine issues were solved.
Blue Origin has been promising to launch New Glenn for months, and now that the moment has finally arrived, the rocket is still sitting on the ground. They’ve already delayed the launch once, and now they’re throwing out more cheap excuses for why it can’t fly yet again. We’re going to break down exactly what’s going on and look at all the details in this video. Before we go any deeper, make sure to subscribe to the channel for more updates like this.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket was supposed to become one of the most important launch vehicles of this decade. When it was first revealed in 2016, the company confidently said it would fly in 2020. They signed major commercial contracts based on that timeline, and NASA expected the rocket to become a new competitor in the growing launch market. On paper, New Glenn had everything it needed: a huge reusable first stage, a modern design, and the financial backing of one of the richest people on the planet. But the reality that followed was completely different.
The first major problem appeared long before New Glenn was even built. Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine, which started development in 2011, was supposed to be ready in time for both New Glenn and ULA’s new Vulcan rocket. Instead, the engine fell behind year after year. It struggled with power levels, combustion stability, and qualification testing. Even ULA’s leadership expressed frustration that the engines were not arriving as promised. Since New Glenn depends on seven BE-4 engines for its first stage, the rocket couldn’t make any real progress until the engine issues were solved.
