Blue Origin Adds Second LC-36 Pad for New Glenn 9x4 as It Rebuilds Blast-Damaged Site
Updated
Updated · SpaceNews · Aug 14
Blue Origin Adds Second LC-36 Pad for New Glenn 9x4 as It Rebuilds Blast-Damaged Site
3 articles · Updated · SpaceNews · Aug 14
Summary
Blue Origin said it will add LC-36B at Cape Canaveral for the larger New Glenn 9x4, expanding the Florida site beyond rebuilding the pad damaged in the May 28 explosion.
LC-36B will include a vertical integration facility and payload processing building, while rebuilt LC-36A is slated to support the current New Glenn 7x2.
The company gave no construction or flight timeline for the 9x4, saying its priority is to rebuild LC-36A and resume launches later this year.
A new horizontal-vertical operating model underpins that return: Blue Origin is testing crane-based vertical stacking at LC-11, including upper-stage and fairing mating and wind-damping checks.
The expansion shows Blue Origin pressing ahead with a bigger New Glenn variant first outlined in November 2025, even after the static-fire blast disrupted its existing launch infrastructure.