🔗 Share this article Jeff Bezos' Space Firm's Second Rocket Launch Delayed Due to Inclement Weather Conditions Blue Origin, owned by entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, was forced to postpone the eagerly awaited launch of its New Glenn rocket on the weekend because of adverse meteorological conditions at Cape Canaveral. Mission Postponement Causes Precipitation and a ground system issue caused early setbacks, then came cumulus cloud cover as the narrow time frame for launch ended, leaving mission controllers to push back the vehicle's upcoming flight. Rivalry between Bezos' firm and Musk's space company has been intensifying in recent months. New Launch Window To ease airspace congestion amid the government funding gap, the aviation regulator is restricting private space launches starting the beginning of the week. After scrubbing the launch, Blue Origin announced late Sunday that, in coordination with the FAA, it was aiming for another attempt as soon as Wednesday within a window of 2.50pm to 4.17pm Eastern Standard time. Mission Objectives Upon successful liftoff, the 98-meter tall launch vehicle will carry the US space agency's two Mars-bound probes to Mars, in an effort to examine the planet’s climate history with the long-term goal of sending people there. The mission will also serve as a crucial trial of whether it can achieve booster recovery, which would represent a major advancement for the firm if accomplished. Previous Flight The rocket's first launch in the start of the year was considered a achievement, as its cargo reached space and successfully performed tests. But its first-stage booster, which was designed as reusable, failed to make its landing on a platform in the ocean, and instead was lost during the return phase. Recovery Efforts For this new mission the launch provider will try once more to land the booster stage. Until now, only SpaceX has managed that feat. Space Race Rival firms of tycoons Musk and Bezos are locked in a commercial space race that recently escalated, as NASA began accepting bids for its planned moon mission, noting that one company was falling behind schedule. The current administration has involved the administration pile pressure on the agency to accelerate its progress to launch astronauts to the Moon amid a race with China. Increased competition between the two firms could “expand our options with regard to launch.” “More launches means greater innovation in space,” a former NASA chief technologist said. “It can’t be a negative to have Blue Origin, even not in the lead.”