Intense solar storms that produced stunning auroras across the United States have forced a delay in the launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. The rocket was scheduled to lift off from Florida on Wednesday carrying two Mars orbiters for NASA, but heightened solar activity raised concerns about radiation risks to the spacecraft.
NASA decided to postpone the mission, citing potential impacts of increased radiation on the Mars-bound orbiters. No new launch date has been announced. The decision came five hours before the targeted liftoff, following earlier delays due to poor weather.
This would have been only the second flight of the New Glenn rocket, which debuted in January. Standing at 321 feet (98 meters), it is significantly larger and more powerful than Blue Origin's New Shepard rockets, which conduct passenger flights from Texas.
