Can Bezos’ Blue Origin make it back to space?

Blue Origin scrubbed its latest New Shepard launch Dec. 18, 2023, citing ground system issues. Monday’s launch from Launch Site One in West Texas would have been the first launch in 15 months for the reusable sub-orbital launch vehicle.

The manifest included 33 payloads and 38,000 Club for the Future postcards from students around the world. No person was scheduled to be on board.

Last year, an engine failure triggered an automatic mission abort. The capsule was ejected and landed safely in the West Texas desert.

During an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, experts noted 21 issues to be fixed before New Shepard could launch again.

There is no official relaunch date, but the company said on X that it hopes to find a new slot this week.