Blue Origin identifies faulty oxygen valve as cause of New Glenn explosion

Blue Origin has pinpointed the source of the May pad explosion of its New Glenn rocket to the main oxygen valve on a BE-4 engine, based on recovered hardware and inspections. CEO Dave Limp confirmed the finding but did not detail the valve's failure mode. The company is accelerating repairs at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 36, planning to install a revised valve design that can be quickly fitted to current engines.

New Glenn's first stage, powered by seven BE-4 engines, will now be assembled horizontally before being rolled out for vertical integration with the payload. Limp reiterated the target of a 2026 launch and noted extensive component testing to guide mitigations. The incident also affects United Launch Alliance, another BE-4 customer, though ULA has not commented on whether it will adopt the same valve changes.