Blue Origin is vowing a quick comeback after last week’s explosion of its New Glenn rocket at Cape Canaveral, but industry experts are skeptical. CEO Dave Limp says LC-36A’s propellant tanks and water tower survived, but the transporter-erector was destroyed. The company plans to launch again by year’s end. Former SpaceX veterans suggest recovery will take 12-18 months. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is now urging Blue Origin to consider launching its Blue Moon Mark 1 lander on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to avoid delays. Meanwhile, NASA’s Artemis III SLS booster segments are being shipped to Kennedy Space Center for stacking this summer, aiming for a March 2027 launch.
Impulse Space announced $500M in Series D funding, bringing total capital raised past $1B. Founder Tom Mueller says demand for its Helios kick stage and NASA support for Moon Base landing services is driving growth. Amazon is running out of Atlas V launches for its Kuiper constellation after its seventh batch, with Vulcan and New Glenn both unavailable. China launched its largest reusable rocket, the Long March 12B, though recovery was not attempted.