Title: Bezos Takes a Page from Musk's Book: Blue Origin Fined before New Glenn's Lift-off
Just on the brink of Blue Origin's anticipated rocket launch, the company was slapped with a fine by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The violation? Conducting a New Glenn rocket test without the required permit, utilizing the launch pad's water deluge system. The fine amounted to a modest $3,000, which swelled to a total of $3,250 when additional costs were factored in.
As reported by local media outlets, this infraction occurred during a fueling test of the upcoming rocket at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, in September 2024. The hot fire test, lasting 15 seconds, aimed to validate interactions between subsystems and test the BE-3U engines. However, the FDEP had yet to grant Blue Origin permission to use the water deluge system.
The FDEP cited this static fire test as an "intentional unauthorized discharge of untreated industrial wastewater to the environment." Although Blue Origin had applied for a permit on May 31, 2024, one had not been issued at the time of the incident, according to the FDEP's letter.
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is slated for launch no earlier than January 10, 2025, during a three-hour window starting at 1 a.m. ET. The launch will see Blue Origin's Blue Ring Pathfinder onboard, marking both the rocket's first flight and certification. Successful completion of this mission will enable New Glenn to carry national security payloads on future missions.
Developed over nearly a decade, New Glenn boasts the ability to lift 45 tons to low Earth orbit and 13 tons to Geostationary orbit. Equipped with a reusable first stage designed for 25 missions, New Glenn's debut follows a series of tests in 2024 that paved the way for its first liftoff, initially scheduled for 2020. However, engineering challenges related to the BE-4 engine development delayed its inaugural flight by several years.
Blue Origin's rival, SpaceX, has also faced similar scrutiny. In 2023, SpaceX conducted a water deluge system test without the necessary environmental permits. The resulting fine was a light penalty, not deterring the company owned by the world's wealthiest individual, Elon Musk. SpaceX alleged violations of environmental regulations in August 2024, as reported by CNBC, surrounding industrial water discharge at the Starbase facility in Texas.
With New Glenn's debut approaching, Blue Origin may have an opportunity to rival SpaceX and further fuel the rivalry between Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, both known for disregarding regulatory demands. Under a Trump presidency, such regulations may weaken even further, enabling the space industry to prosper without constraints.
Despite the fine, Blue Origin's future in space exploration seems undeterred, with their New Glenn rocket still scheduled for launch in January 2025. In the realm of space technology, this dispute over environmental regulation is merely a minor setback, as advancements in science continue to propel both companies towards the stars.
The space race between Blue Origin and SpaceX, spearheaded by Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk respectively, is set to intensify, as they aim to unlock the potential of low Earth and geostationary orbits. With a supportive regulatory environment under a potential Trump presidency, the future of the space industry promises to be marked by groundbreaking breakthroughs in technology and scientific discovery.
