May 28, 2026 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Amazon touts the first Leo launch of 48 Leo satellites on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket
That launch is presently targeting June 4, 2026.
- Webb data suggests an exoplanet bigger than Earth is scorched like Mercury
All together now: “There is much uncertainty in the data.”
- Japanese startup Ispace touts further testing work on its upgraded Ultra lunar lander
It has two contracts with Japan and one with NASA for three different Moon missions, flying from ’28 to ’30.
- On May 28 1971 the Soviet Union launched Mars 3 on a Proton rocket
It was the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on Mars (2 December 1971), but failed 20 seconds later.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Amazon touts the first Leo launch of 48 Leo satellites on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket
That launch is presently targeting June 4, 2026.
- Webb data suggests an exoplanet bigger than Earth is scorched like Mercury
All together now: “There is much uncertainty in the data.”
- Japanese startup Ispace touts further testing work on its upgraded Ultra lunar lander
It has two contracts with Japan and one with NASA for three different Moon missions, flying from ’28 to ’30.
- On May 28 1971 the Soviet Union launched Mars 3 on a Proton rocket
It was the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on Mars (2 December 1971), but failed 20 seconds later.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
For those who have not yet heard, Blue Origin’s New Glenn just blew up at LC-36 while attempting to Static Fire ahead of NG-4. The explosion was….spectacular.
No one was hurt, fortunately. But this is a big setback for BO.
Yeah, about that Amazon LEO launch….
Man, it’s going to be MONTHS to clean up and rebuild that launch pad. That was like a tac-nuke going off.
And unfortunately, right now, it’s the only pad Blue Origin has. I can’t see Blue Moon launching anytime in 2026.
I don’t think the Blue Origen launch is going to happen.
https://x.com/visegrad24/status/2060167627637465508?s=20
”Amazon touts the first Leo launch of 48 Leo satellites on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket”
That’s going to be a while. New Glenn NG-4 just blew up during its pre-launch static fire.
Is the video out of the Cape I just saw of the wet dress real? I hope it’s ai…
So, it’s an hour after the blast, and the fires are still burning at SLC-36. The fire suppression systems were clearly knocked out. And…..one of the lightning protection towers is no longer visible any longer. It must have been completely knocked over by the blast.
Yes, it’s going to be a while before Blue Origin is ready to launch a New Glenn again. What a blow this is to their entire launch team, and frankly the entire company. It has to be gut wrenching.
Elon reacts: “Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard.” Indeed they are.
Bezos just posted on X: “All personnel are accounted for and safe. It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
https://x.com/i/status/2060182822170902622
That’s about all you can expect him to say at this point.
Before launching anything, they should have launched experimental spacecraft. After everything is tested, then start launching satellites. After several more launches, then start launching people. Were there any satellites on board? If so, they are lost.
What a mess. What I thought was water at first was clearly ignited a moment later, so it was fuel. Either a massive fuel leak or a very catastrophic engine failure.
Hope they captured enough data to zero in fast..
Reminds me of Amos-6.
Eric Berger has been talking to sources he has at the company over the last hour. It appears the detonation began in the booster engine section, which is kinda what it looks like on the video feeds I have seen. Beyond that:
“It is too early to determine the impacts from this failure, but they will be considerable. Early reports from sources suggest that the launch infrastructure at LC-36A is severely damaged. A source indicated that one of the launch towers may not be salvageable, and that the transporter-erector may also be damaged beyond repair.
“The company recently began construction on a second New Glenn launch site nearby, LC-36B. However work there is in its early stages. It is possible, however, that completing this new launch tower may be faster than rebuilding LC-36A. New Glenn almost certainly will not launch again in 2026, and frankly a launch during the first half of 2027 would be heroic given the launch site concerns.”
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/05/blue-origins-new-glenn-rocket-just-exploded-during-a-static-fire-test/
Eric reminds us that the Amos-6 explosion at SLC-40 took SpaceX 12 months to rebuild that pad. Granted that SLC-36 is a very robustly built pad, a Falcon 9 is a lot smaller than a fully fueled New Glenn….
Fires still burning, 100 minutes later.
Video
https://x.com/osint613/status/2060178252170182835?s=46
OK. None of those other comments were there when I made mine — neither on this page nor on the sidebar.
Ellie in Space reporting
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hc4KLHorCyg
Of the two billionaires, I fully expected something like this happening at Boca, in that Bezos’ outfit was always thought to be slow but careful…
I hate this. I really like New Glenn.
Note all: I have now posted the New Glenn explosion story. Comment there.
I was prevented from posting this afternoon because the website is undergoing an upgrade that should show up in a few days. The look will remain mostly the same, but it will work better and the commenting portion will also be improved.
I figured that was what happened with all the comments reporting the same thing, mkent. Sometimes there’s moderation because this place sometimes gets the odd troll or odd… person.
I feel bad for the Blue Origin team.
Robert: This was supposed to be a rehearsal so it’s unlikely to have any real cargo.
This is really bad for Blue, but also for NASA/Artemis.
David Ross: Read my full post. I note there were no payload satellites on board.