Jeff Bezos' New Glenn rocket launch postponed due to solar storm. The launch of NASA's ESCAPADE mission, which was set to send the agency's two twin probes on a journey to Mars, has been delayed again.
A massive solar storm is expected to hit Earth today, causing geomagnetic storms that could affect power grids, GPS navigation signals, and radio communications. Blue Origin, the company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, had planned to launch its New Glenn rocket, which was set to be the second flight of the heavy-lift rocket.
NASA has decided to postpone the mission until space weather conditions improve. The agency is concerned that the solar storm could interfere with electronic systems on the twin probes. The ESCAPADE mission itself is designed to study the interaction between the solar wind and the upper atmosphere of Mars.
The solar storm, which was triggered by a coronal mass ejection from the Sun, is expected to arrive at Earth in less than two days. Forecasters predict a G4 level, or severe, geomagnetic storm, with a slight chance of an extreme G5 storm.
Astronomers and space weather forecasters are monitoring the situation closely. They use satellites positioned a million miles from Earth in the direction of the Sun to detect the speed of the solar wind, its charge, and the direction of its magnetic field. This information helps forecasters know what to expect.
The delay is not unprecedented. In 2014, the launch of an Antares cargo rocket was delayed due to heightened solar activity. SpaceX also held up the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket for several hours in 2023 to wait for space radiation levels to abate.
Blue Origin did not immediately set a new target launch date for the ESCAPADE mission. Several launches are already scheduled to depart from Cape Canaveral in the next few days, including United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket and a pair of SpaceX Falcon 9s.
The delay has sparked concerns about the potential impacts of the solar storm on Earth's systems. A G4 geomagnetic storm can trigger "possible widespread voltage control problems" in terrestrial electrical networks, according to NOAA, along with potential surface charging problems on satellites flying above the protective layers of the atmosphere.
The sudden arrival of a rush of charged particles from the Sun can create disturbances in Earth's magnetic field, affecting power grids, degrading GPS navigation signals, and disrupting radio communications.
A massive solar storm is expected to hit Earth today, causing geomagnetic storms that could affect power grids, GPS navigation signals, and radio communications. Blue Origin, the company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, had planned to launch its New Glenn rocket, which was set to be the second flight of the heavy-lift rocket.
NASA has decided to postpone the mission until space weather conditions improve. The agency is concerned that the solar storm could interfere with electronic systems on the twin probes. The ESCAPADE mission itself is designed to study the interaction between the solar wind and the upper atmosphere of Mars.
The solar storm, which was triggered by a coronal mass ejection from the Sun, is expected to arrive at Earth in less than two days. Forecasters predict a G4 level, or severe, geomagnetic storm, with a slight chance of an extreme G5 storm.
Astronomers and space weather forecasters are monitoring the situation closely. They use satellites positioned a million miles from Earth in the direction of the Sun to detect the speed of the solar wind, its charge, and the direction of its magnetic field. This information helps forecasters know what to expect.
The delay is not unprecedented. In 2014, the launch of an Antares cargo rocket was delayed due to heightened solar activity. SpaceX also held up the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket for several hours in 2023 to wait for space radiation levels to abate.
Blue Origin did not immediately set a new target launch date for the ESCAPADE mission. Several launches are already scheduled to depart from Cape Canaveral in the next few days, including United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket and a pair of SpaceX Falcon 9s.
The delay has sparked concerns about the potential impacts of the solar storm on Earth's systems. A G4 geomagnetic storm can trigger "possible widespread voltage control problems" in terrestrial electrical networks, according to NOAA, along with potential surface charging problems on satellites flying above the protective layers of the atmosphere.
The sudden arrival of a rush of charged particles from the Sun can create disturbances in Earth's magnetic field, affecting power grids, degrading GPS navigation signals, and disrupting radio communications.
I'm kinda surprised they're postponing it again... but at the same time, I mean, what if they don't? Like, what if the launch is actually super important and they can't afford to delay it even more? 
Space weather conditions are pretty unpredictable, so who knows what'll happen. The scientists seem pretty stoked about detecting the solar storm from a million miles away, but still, I'm kinda worried about all the tech getting fried in space... 
? i mean, think about it, a G4 geomagnetic storm can cause voltage control problems in our electrical networks... like what if our power grid goes down because of some space weather? and what's the deal with NASA being all cautious now? aren't they used to this stuff? shouldn't they be prepared for solar storms already? 
just think about it, another space launch delayed due to something out of our control... 
. can't say I blame NASA for being cautious though, safety first, right? 
also kinda cool that there are satellites watching over Earth from a million miles away, keeping an eye on space weather 
. hope Blue Origin gets their launch back on track soon! 
NASA and SpaceX have had to delay launches before due to heightened solar activity so it's not entirely unexpected, but still it's a big deal. I'm keeping an eye on it from here 
. Like, yeah NASA knows what they're doing but still it's not the best idea to send probes on Mars right now. We should at least make sure our own electrical systems can handle it first 
. And what if it affects Earth's power grids? I don't want to be stuck without electricity during a snowstorm or something 
. NASA needs to wait until things calm down before sending those probes off to Mars 
like what if this solar storm is more than just a coincidence? what if it's actually some kind of test or something? you know how they always say the government and big corps are secretly working on stuff together? i think there's something fishy going on here. maybe blue origin and nasa are in cahoots with each other to delay this launch and cause a solar storm. it's like, what if the sun itself is just a tool for some kind of mind control or something 
Ugh, another launch delay due to space weather. I mean, what's the point of having a fancy rocket if you're just gonna get messed up by a solar storm? 
nasa needs to prep those twin probes for mars or whatever they're doing out there... a g4 geomagnetic storm is no joke tho, power grids and stuff can get all messed up 
gotta stay safe on both earth and in space 
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could cause major probs w/ power grids & GPS 
, not to mention surface charging issues on satellites... blue origin should def be prepared 2 reschedule the launch. hopefully they're monitorin' space weather closely & can get everything back on track ASAP 
