Watch Blue Origin Launch NASA’s Mission to Mars in the Middle of a Geomagnetic Storm

Blue Origin will make another attempt to launch its New Glenn megarocket—carrying NASA’s ESCAPADE Mars mission—on Thursday afternoon.

After scrubbing the initial launch due to bad weather and a wayward cruise ship on Sunday, Blue Origin stood down from its second attempt on Wednesday due to a severe geomagnetic storm. Though the storm’s severity has weakened, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center expects it to last through the weekend, and there’s still a chance of severe conditions Thursday.

Our second New Glenn launch may be visible to those in the regions below. Here’s when and where to look to the skies! pic.twitter.com/BkItU3x1Bk

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) November 13, 2025

It’s surprising that Blue Origin is willing to give the launch another go before space weather conditions have cleared. There are considerable risks associated with launching a rocket during a geomagnetic storm, and Blue can’t afford a mishap. During this test flight, New Glenn will launch NASA’s $80 million twin ESCAPADE probes on a journey to the Red Planet, so both the company and NASA have a lot riding on this mission.

New Glenn is set to lift off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch window opens at 2:57 p.m. and closes at 4:25 p.m. ET. Blue Origin will begin livestreaming the event approximately 20 minutes before liftoff, and you can watch right here.

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You can also catch the launch at the third-party livestream below.

Risky business

The ongoing geomagnetic storm began Tuesday evening with the arrival of two coronal mass ejections, huge eruptions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s surface. This triggered a major disturbance in Earth’s magnetosphere—a geomagnetic storm—that was amplified by the arrival of a third, larger CME on Wednesday.

Geomagnetic storms can increase the likelihood of aurora at latitudes further south and disrupt power systems, radio communications, and spacecraft operations. That means there is a risk of interference with New Glenn’s communications and navigation systems during today’s test flight. These storms also heat the upper atmosphere, which can increase drag and alter ascent conditions.

That being said, Blue Origin clearly believes the risks are minimal enough to warrant another launch attempt today. Launch operators will continue to monitor space weather conditions during the lead-up to liftoff. If it looks like issues could arise, they could still scrub at the last minute.

Third time’s the charm?

If New Glenn does manage to get off the ground today, the rocket will deploy the ESCAPADE probes shortly after stage separation. The twin spacecraft will then embark on an 11-month-long flight to Mars, where they will investigate how solar wind interacts with Mars’ magnetic environment and how this drives the planet’s atmospheric escape, according to NASA.

On station pic.twitter.com/W45tqZUhAw

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) November 13, 2025

Blue Origin will also attempt to recover the booster via a soft landing on a barge named Jacklyn, located in the Atlantic Ocean. The company previously attempted this with its first New Glenn booster, but it failed to properly relight three of its BE-4 engines for the reentry burn.

Demonstrating booster recovery is a critical milestone for New Glenn, as is deploying a deep-space mission. If Blue Origin can achieve both these goals today, it will put New Glenn on the map as a strong competitor for NASA science missions and national defense contracts. If things go poorly, the company risks putting a serious dent in its relationship with NASA. Hopefully, the third time’s the charm.