🔗 Share this article Jeff Bezos' Space Firm's Latest Mission Delayed Due to Inclement Atmospheric Situation Blue Origin, founded by entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, had to delay the highly anticipated liftoff of its powerful launch vehicle on the weekend due to unfavorable meteorological factors at the Florida launch site. Launch Delay Causes Rainfall and a ground system issue caused initial delays, followed by thick clouds as the narrow time frame for launch closed, leaving mission controllers to push back the rocket’s planned second mission. Competition between Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been heating up in the past few months. Rescheduled Attempt To ease traffic in the skies during the government funding gap, the aviation regulator is restricting commercial rocket liftoffs starting the beginning of the week. Following the cancellation of the mission, the company announced late Sunday that, working alongside the regulatory body, it was targeting another attempt as early as midweek within a window of 2.50pm to 4.17pm EST. Mission Objectives Upon successful liftoff, the 98-meter tall launch vehicle will transport the US space agency's Escapade twin spacecraft to the Red Planet, in an effort to examine the planet’s climate history with the long-term goal of sending people there. Blue Origin’s launch will also serve as a crucial trial of its ability to perform reusable rocket landing, which would prove a technical breakthrough for the firm if accomplished. Previous Flight New Glenn’s inaugural flight in January was marked as a success, as its payload achieved orbit and successfully performed tests. But its main rocket section, which was meant to be reusable, did not stick its landing on a platform in the Atlantic, and instead was lost during the return phase. Landing Attempts In its second effort Blue Origin will try once more to recover the first stage. Thus far, only SpaceX has managed that feat. Space Race The competing companies of tycoons Bezos and Musk are engaged in a private sector space competition that recently escalated, as NASA began accepting proposals for its planned moon mission, complaining that one company was lagging behind. The current administration has seen the administration pile pressure on NASA to accelerate its timeline to send a crewed mission to the lunar surface amid a race with China. More rivalry between SpaceX and Blue Origin could “expand our options with regard to launch.” “Additional missions means more ideas in orbit,” a former NASA chief technologist stated. “It isn't a negative to have Blue Origin, even not in the lead.”