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Just days before the launch of the Blue Origin rocket, the company was fined for a previous test of the New Glenn that was carried out without permission.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issued a $3,000 fine (plus a minimum of $3,250 plus fees) to Blue Origin for illegally using a water deluge system during the test fire of its New Glenn rocket, according to local media. reports.
In September 2024, Blue Origin tested an upcoming rocket at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Hot fire test it lasts for 15 seconds, and its purpose was to “verify the compatibility between the sub-stages on the second stage, its two BE-3U engines, and ground control systems,” Blue Origin wrote in a statement at the time. The FDEP, however, had not yet granted Blue Origin a permit to use the stormwater, but the company went ahead and used it, which resulted in fines.
“Although Blue Origin applied for a permit to flood the LC-36 on May 31, 2024, no permit has been issued to date and the plan will not be implemented,” FDEP wrote in the letter. “This unsustainable fire appears to be a deliberate release of untreated industrial waste water into the environment.”
Blue Origin’s cargo vehicle is is already set for Friday, January 10 in a three-hour opening window that opens at 1 a.m. ET. On its maiden voyage, New Glenn will carry Blue Origin’s Blue Ring Pathfinder, and its launch will also double as the first rocket certification flight, paving the way for it to carry the national defense budget for future missions.
The rocket has been in development for nearly a decade, but a series of recent tests last year paved the way for its first launch. The New Glenn was supposed to make its debut in 2020, however, delays in the production of its seven BE-4 engines (produced by Blue Origin) have pushed the launch back several years.
Standing at about 320 feet (98 meters), New Glenn can lift 45 tons into low Earth orbit and 13 tons into Geostationary orbit. The rocket has a reusable first stage for 25 missions.
Like Blue Origin, competitor SpaceX has also passed the law with its water-flooding system. In 2023, SpaceX tested its water-flooding system without asking permission of the environment required to do so. The company was fined for dumping wastewater around the launch pad without a permit, but that didn’t change much for SpaceX. The fines were nothing more than a slap in the face—one that didn’t deter the company of the world’s richest man. In August 2024, CNBC report that SpaceX allegedly violated environmental laws by releasing industrial water through a spillway at the Starbase facility in Texas.
With the upcoming New Glenn, Blue Origin may have an opportunity to compete with the giant company SpaceX, which increases the conflict between the two billionaires of the rocket Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, both known for flouting the law. Under the presidency of Donald Trump, with Musk at his side, these regulations may become ineffective as the space industry looks to boost its wireless operations.
