Blue Origin Reconsiders Using Pensacola ship Jacklyn for Rocket Landing

Blue Origin may reconsider using Pensacola ship Jacklyn for New Glenn rocket landing. Jeff Bezos renamed the ship, which has been waiting for a retrofit since 2018, after his mother back in December 2020. However, now Blue Origin is re-evaluating whether the ship will be as cost-effective for New Glenn booster recovery as the company thought at first.

Pensacola Ship Jacklyn for Rocket Landing

The former 600-foot cargo ship has been harboured in Pensacola since 2018, waiting for a retrofit. However, when asked about the future plans for a recently rebranded vehicle, a Blue Origin spokesperson said that the company is re-evaluating its decision and is looking at other options as well. So, no final decision to use Pensacola ship Jacklyn for rocket landing has been taken yet. According to Blue Origin, the company is searching for the most cost-effective booster landing options for its New Glenn carrier.

Blue Origin Plans for New Glenn Launch

Right now, Blue Origin is working on New Glenn, the largest rocket after NASA’s Saturn V. The rocket’s first stage should be reusable and should land on a sea platform similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. However, unlike Falcon landing on a sea barge, Blue Origin intended to use a full-scale cargo ship for a rocket landing. Differently from a barge that depends on the weather, a cargo ship can accept a booster in deep seas even when the waters are rough.

When Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos renamed the Pensacola ship Jacklyn after his mother, the entrepreneur was highly optimistic, stating that there was no better name to symbolize the booster’s safe return to a welcoming home. However, the Blue Origin New Glenn launch and, consequently, rocket landing on a Pensacola ship Jacklyn have been rescheduled from 2020 to 2023.