Blue Origin’s Pad Rebuild: SpaceX Vet Insights Signal a Longer Road Ahead
After Blue Origin’s New Glenn pad was destroyed in a May static-fire, Ars spoke with SpaceX veterans who rebuilt SLC-40 after the AMOS-6 failure. SpaceX took about 15.5 months from disaster to flight (11 months of construction). Experts say Blue Origin’s timeline is unlikely to be shorter than 12 months, with 18 months more likely; Blue Origin has suggested a year-end return, but insiders view that as optimistic given the extent of damage and necessary remediation.