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Just days before the launch of a much-anticipated Blue Origin rocket, the company was fined for an earlier New Glenn test conducted without a permit.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issued a $3,000 fine (plus a paltry $3,250 plus costs) to Blue Origin for unauthorized use of a water deluge system during a static fire test of his New Glenn rocket, according to local media. reports.
In September 2024, Blue Origin conducted a refueling test of its next rocket at Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida. Hot fire proof lasted for 15 seconds, and its purpose was to “validate the interaction between the subsystems on the second stage, its two BE-3U engines, and the ground control systems”, Blue Origin wrote in a statement to the moment The FDEP, however, had not yet issued Blue Origin the necessary authorization to use the launch pad’s water deluge system, but the company went ahead and used it anyway, resulting in the fine
“While Blue Origin applied for a permit for the LC-36 deluge system on May 31, 2024, no permit has been issued to date and the system cannot be put into service,” the FDEP wrote in a letter “This static fire appears to constitute an intentional unauthorized discharge of untreated industrial wastewater into the environment.”
Blue Origin’s heavy vehicle is set for launch no earlier than Friday, January 10 during a three-hour launch window that opens at 1 a.m. ET. For its maiden flight, New Glenn will carry Blue Origin’s pathfinder of the blue ring, and its debut will also double as the rocket’s first certification flight, paving the way for carrying national security payloads on future missions.
The rocket has been in development for almost a decade, but a recent series of tests that took place last year paved the way for its first liftoff. New Glenn was originally scheduled to debut in 2020, however, delays in the development of its seven BE-4 engines (which are designed by Blue Origin) pushed back its maiden flight by several years.
Located about 320 feet high (98 meters), New Glenn is capable of lifting 45 tons to low Earth orbit and 13 tons to geostationary orbit. The rifle features a reusable first stage that is designed to last for 25 missions.
Like Blue Origin, industry rival SpaceX has also defied regulations with its launch pad’s water deluge system. In 2023, SpaceX tested its water deluge system without applying for environmental permits necessary to do so. The company was fined for dumping wastewater around the launch pad without a permit, but it left little impact on SpaceX. The fines were just a slap on the wrist – little deterrent for a company owned by the world’s richest man. In August 2024, CNBC reported that SpaceX had allegedly violated environmental regulations by releasing industrial water through the water deluge system at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas.
With the upcoming debut of New Glenn, Blue Origin may have the chance to compete with the industry giant SpaceX, also fueling a dispute between the two rocket billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, both of whom are known for their disregard of the regulations. Under a presidency of Donald Trump, with Musk at his side, these types of regulations could become even less effective, as the space industry seeks to strengthen its activities without strings attached.
