Blue Origin – based in Kent – scrubbed its planned Thursday morning (Sept. 24, 2020) launch due to a potential issued with a power supply.
“We’ve detected a potential issue with the power supply to the experiments,” the company Tweeted. “Launch is scrubbed for today. New launch target forthcoming.”
We’ve detected a potential issue with the power supply to the experiments. Launch is scrubbed for today. New launch target forthcoming.
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) September 24, 2020
The scheduled 8 a.m. PDT launch was first delayed due to cloud cover at the west Texas launch facility before being cancelled.
The Tipping Point experiment today requires clear weather to gather usable data. We’ve delayed launch until 11:40 AM CDT / 16:40 UTC to allow for the cloud cover to clear in West Texas. Stay tuned for updates. #NewShepard https://t.co/zR7PD5EpuR
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) September 24, 2020
As we previously reported, this would have been Blue Origin’s 13th New Shepard mission and the 7th consecutive flight for this particular vehicle (a record), demonstrating its operational reusability.
When rescheduled, New Shepard will fly 12 commercial payloads to space and back on this mission, including the Deorbit, Descent, and Landing Sensor Demonstration with NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate under a Tipping Point partnership.
This will be the first payload to fly mounted on the exterior of a New Shepard booster rather than inside the capsule, opening the door to a wide range of future high-altitude sensing, sampling, and exposure payloads.
We’ve developed @NASA_Technology to help spacecraft make precise landings on the Moon, and on other worlds.
On Thurs., Sept. 24, we’re testing this new sensor suite on a @BlueOrigin suborbital launch. Liftoff is targeted for 11am ET. How to watch: https://t.co/4PTuXKq2VF pic.twitter.com/LdU9M9ntts
— NASA (@NASA) September 22, 2020