Blue Origin adds LC-36B at Cape Canaveral for New Glenn
Blue Origin is stepping up its game at Cape Canaveral by adding a second launch pad, LC-36B, to support its bigger New Glenn 9x4 rocket.
This move comes after a New Glenn 7x2 rocket exploded during testing in May, but the company isn't slowing down.
Blue Origin plans VIF and PPF
Along with the new pad, Blue Origin's expansion includes fresh facilities for building and prepping rockets: think a Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) and a Payload Processing Facility (PPF).
The additional pad will require as much as 2,500 tons of steel, much of which will go toward building a 700-foot-tall launch tower.
Meanwhile, CEO Dave Limp says fixing the damaged LC-36A and flying again this year is still their top priority: "Rebuilding LC-36A and flying again this year remains our priority."