NASA picks Blue Origin, Firefly, L3Harris for $100M spacecraft contract

seekingalpha.com ·2026-08-17

Blue Origin has announced plans to transform its Florida launch site, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex-36, into a dual-pad facility to accommodate its more powerful New Glenn rocket. Following an explosion during a test of one of the company's New Glenn 7x2 rockets, the facility is undergoing repairs. In addition to repairing the existing LC-36A pad, Blue Origin intends to construct a second pad, designated LC-36B, along with associated operations infrastructure.

This will include a Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) and a Payload Processing Facility (PPF) for the New Glenn 9x4 rocket. The company aims to resume launching New Glenn 7x2 rockets by the end of the year, although no timeline has been set for LC-36B's readiness or the debut of the 9x4 rocket. The New Glenn rockets, powered by Blue Origin's BE-4 engines, are designed for reusability and can launch larger payloads than their smaller predecessor.

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