Would You like a feature Interview?
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
It doesn’t look like smooth sailing this summer for Jeff Bezos. And we’re not just talking about his 500-foot-long giant sailboat.
According to a new report from CNBC, A rocket engine from Bezos’ space exploration and tourism company, Blue Origin, exploded during a test last month.
The BE-4 engine reportedly exploded about 10 seconds into the test, according to a “person familiar with the matter” who said he had seen footage showing the massive explosion.
Testing took place on June 30th at Blue Origin’s West Texas facility.
The Blue Origin New Shepherd rocket launches from Range 1 north of Van Horn, West Texas on March 31, 2022. (Photo credit: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
“No one was injured and we are currently investigating the root cause,” a Blue Origin representative said in a statement. CNBC.
RELATED: Virgin Galactic to begin first commercial flight in June
Company officials also said there was a “direct cause and we are working on corrective actions” for the rocket engine that was scheduled to fly on the Vulcan Centaur’s second launch (which had already been launched). pushed back From May 4th, the original debut date).
The same engine is also used in Blue Origin’s “New Glenn” rocket, named after the famous astronaut John Glenn.
The Vulcan Centaur is owned by Blue Origin customer United Launch Alliance (ULA). ULA president and CEO Tony Bruno acknowledged the failure on Twitter on Tuesday.
of course. All engines, Elex boxes, COPV etc. undergo acceptance testing (ATP) as they leave the production line to ensure good workmanship. (One-time Qual validates design; BE4 is qualified). Cert1’s BE4 has passed ATP like many other BE4s. This engine has failed ATP. https://t.co/2n73TwlTa8
— Tory Bruno (@torybruno) July 11, 2023
In his second post, he also admitted that it was “very unlikely” that an engine failure would further delay Centaur’s launch.
Very unlikely.We always check all ATP anomalies for crossovers, but unexpected here
— Tory Bruno (@torybruno) July 12, 2023
Centaur is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2023, according to the company. CNBC.
This is not the first rocket-related failure for Blue Origin.
Related: Virgin Orbit’s stock plummets after historic launch failure ‘abnormal’
Last September, one of the company’s experimental New Shepard rockets experienced a booster failure that forced the capsule to make an emergency landing.
Luckily there was no crew on board.