Blue Origin zeroes in on rocket engine issue as source of New Glenn explosion

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (Reuters) - A massive explosion of Blue Origin's centerpiece New Glenn rocket in May was triggered by an issue with one of the rocket's BE-4 engines, the company's CEO said on Wednesday as it races to return the vehicle to flight later this year.

"The anomaly originated at the main oxygen valve on one of the BE-4 engines, which was later confirmed by hardware recovery and inspections," Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp wrote on X. "The path forward is clear. We're making small modifications to the valve that can be quickly retrofitted to existing engines."

The BE-4 engines are also used on the Vulcan rocket owned by United Launch Alliance, the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint rocket venture, which has said it is collaborating with Blue Origin on its investigation.

New Glenn exploded on its Florida launchpad in May days before its fourth flight, sending shockwaves across the Cape Canaveral coast and damaging some launchpad infrastructure known to take years to build.