Excitement filled the air as Blue Origin geared up for the inaugural launch of its New Glenn rocket this past Sunday, but unfortunately, the mission did not unfold as anticipated.
The late-night NG-1 mission was hailed as a significant advancement in Blue Origin’s rocket technology, yet the 98-meter-tall rocket failed to lift off at the scheduled time.
Blue Origin’s live stream began at midnight ET, one hour ahead of the three-hour window for the New Glenn’s launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Presenters Ariane Cornell and Denisse Aranda greeted viewers with enthusiasm as they discussed their eagerness for Blue Origin’s first orbital rocket flight. “This is happening,” Ariane confidently expressed. But, as fate would have it, the excitement was short-lived.
At around 12:30 a.m., with just 27 minutes remaining before the first launch attempt, the broadcast cut to footage of children and their families eagerly awaiting the launch from a nearby park. The kids smiled and cheered, clearly excited, albeit quite past their bedtimes. Blue Origin staff members were also shown at various locations across the nation, sharing the buzz of anticipation for a launch that never took place.
Initially, everything appeared to be on track for the company founded by Jeff Bezos. However, 17 minutes before liftoff, the countdown timer suddenly vanished, only to return with an added 20 minutes. Viewers had to be quick to catch this unexpected change.
“They just need a couple more minutes… that is perfectly fine with us,” Ariane reassured, unaware of what was about to transpire.
The delay provided the stream with an opportunity to showcase pre-recorded segments explaining the New Glenn rocket and its payload, Blue Ring Pathfinder.
Disappointment struck again, however, when just 11 minutes later, the countdown adjusted again, this time adding another 14 minutes and resetting to a total of 33 minutes. Viewers at home may have started to suspect that the issue lay with the countdown clock rather than the rocket itself. If engineers couldn’t figure out why the clock kept ticking up, viewers might find themselves watching for much longer.
Optimistically, the clock continued to count down to 9 minutes until launch before resetting to 29 minutes. There were mentions of a checklist that Blue Origin’s team needed to review.
Tim Dodd, a popular YouTuber known as Everyday Astronaut, who was streaming his own commentary alongside the launch broadcast, expressed his frustration: “Oh no, another delay. This is not ideal for my sleep schedule.”
As the clock ticked on, the children at the park no longer smiled. By 2 a.m. ET, it was indeed way past bedtime, and some parents wore looks that suggested weariness. Even Bezos might have been fighting off sleep. One little girl, still awake, was asked about her expectations for the launch and might have wanted to say, “Just getting home,” but instead, she dutifully smiled, saying, “For the rocket to go up into space.” Little did she know she was asking a lot.
Encouragingly, the clock ticked down to 14 minutes, only to reset yet again, now to 35 minutes. This time, Ariane didn’t even comment on it, perhaps in denial. Viewers at home might have questioned their sanity at that point.
Tim chuckled in despair yet attempted to maintain composure. “I expect this, I expect delays, and I’m not shocked,” he said, though his tone hinted that he was trying to convince himself.
By 2:15 a.m., the broadcast appeared to run out of content, leaving viewers to watch footage of a rocket that remained firmly on the ground.

At 11 minutes until launch, yet another reset took place, pushing the countdown to 38 minutes. “Noooo, noooo, nooooo!” Tim exclaimed, aware that the launch window was closing rapidly.
“They’re working through their checklist,” Ariane reiterated, prompting viewers to wonder if this checklist, if unfurled, could stretch all the way to the moon.
The countdown hit 12 minutes before flipping to zero seconds. “It’s lifting off, it’s lifting off,” Tim announced, only to clarify almost immediately, “It’s not lifting off… that’s not a good sign.”
As the live stream fixated on the grounded New Glenn rocket, a silence descended. Perhaps Ariane and Denisse had succumbed to fatigue. Viewers continued to look at the rocket in a heavy silence — had everyone abandoned them?
Around 3 a.m., Ariane re-emerged to inform viewers that the launch had been canceled due to a “vehicle subsystem issue,” instead of the malfunctioning countdown clock.
Tim wrapped things up before heading to bed, stating, “I kinda expected that, to be honest. Better safe than sorry.”
He was correct. It’s common for an inaugural launch to encounter such setbacks. Blue Origin must ensure everything is perfect, a disappointing outcome for those who stayed awake late in anticipation. But chances will arise again, and hopefully, the New Glenn will soon ignite its engines and soar into the sky.
For those looking for another launch fix, SpaceX’s Starship megarocket is scheduled for its seventh test flight on Wednesday. Just keep checking that countdown timer!